


A Simple Test Drive

by doopstory



Category: Star Fox Series
Genre: Alternate Canon, Based off of 64 and not much else, M/M, PTSD, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Recovery, Swearing, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:20:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24242707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doopstory/pseuds/doopstory
Summary: Fox is contacted by someone he hasn't seen in two years with a rather strange offer.
Relationships: Fox McCloud/Wolf O'Donnell
Comments: 16
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm finally bringing this fic to Ao3. It got pretty popular on ff.net, so I'm not sure how many people here might have read it or not. Nonetheless, here it is.
> 
> I wrote this back during the summer of 2018, and it arguably is what got me back into writing fanfic regularly again. WolFox is a ship I have a lot of nostalgia for and I wanted to take a stab at it, despite knowing barely anything about Starfox canon. So whether this is your first time reading or you're here for a reread, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Also, you may notice I recycled a lot of ideas from this for Craving More Than You're Given, my Beastars fanfic.)

**BZZZZZZZZZZT BZZZZZZZZZZT BZZZZZZZZZZT**

Fox McCloud’s eyes peeled themselves open to the bright light emanating from the screen of the phone next to his head, juxtaposed with the soft ambient light bleeding through the curtains, illuminating the modestly sized apartment. The phone was vibrating.

“Mmmmnnghnm.” Fox reached out for the device gently with one hand while rubbing his eyes with the other. After a few wipes he was able to see the screen. An unknown number was calling him. “Mmmm yeah, no.” He placed the phone back down and flipped over on his side, back turned to the call as it ended. The mercenary leader nuzzled himself back into the pillow, hoping to continue where he had just left off…

**BZZZZZZZZZZT BZZZZZZZZZZT BZZZZZZZZZZT**

Fox scoffed and turned to face the phone again, this time with a scowl. He snatched up the phone. Yup, same number. Still not one of his contacts. And that meant they get to leave a voicemail.

_Wait, why didn’t they leave a voicemail the first time?_

Maybe that means it’s urgent? It could be one of his friends trying to call him because they’re stranded somewhere without their phone and were forced to use a stranger’s. Clearing his throat, mind made up, a single finger hit the accept call button.

“Hello?” Fox tried his hardest not to sound like he just woke up. A valiant effort, to be sure.

A gravelly, deep voice on the other end replied, “Oh, did I wake ya?”

“Mmph, who is this?”

“It’s Wolf. O’Donnell. Uh, this is Fox, right?”

Fox felt a jolt in his chest as all of his drowsiness left him in an instant. “W-Wolf? What’s this all about? How’d you get my number?”

There was a slight pause on Wolf’s end before he responded with, “Oh, y’know. Around. I saw the Great Fox dock yesterday so I thought I’d see if you were planetside.”

Fox pinched the bridge of his snout, squeezing his eyes shut. “Shit, you disappear for two years and then you call me on my _private_ phone out of the blue? What do you even want? Are you gonna track my phone now? Gonna assassinate me or something?”

“Oh, come now, we left on far more amicable terms than that, didn’t we?” The older man punctuated this with a sad chuckle.

McCloud thought for a second. It was true. His and Wolf’s mercenary teams, Star Fox and Star Wolf, respectively, had worked in tandem the last time they were in contact, but he was unsure if that was enough to undo years of rivalry and animosity.

Wolf continued past Fox’s silence. “Uh, anyway, I was calling because I just bought a new car and wanted someone to test it out with.” It was almost sheepish the way he said it, his words speeding up toward the end of the sentence.

Fox just laid there, flabbergasted. “You’re...you’re serious.” Silence. He felt he should probe again, while he also felt he should just hang up. The former feeling won out. “You know, they make cars now that only require one driver! Marvels of technology, those!” A bark of laughter was what he received in response.

“Ya haven’t changed a bit, eh Foxy?”

“...Foxy?”

“Anyway, what fun is driving a brand new convertible in the summer all by yerself? No fun at all!”

As flimsy as that explanation was, Fox decided to humor his rival. “Alright, why call me then? You must have a lot of other people you could take with you before you even considered me.” Thinking further about what the man on the other line had said in the past half minute, he came up with another question. “Wait wait wait wait wait, you’re on Corneria? _And_ you’re near enough to me to have seen the Great Fox land? Are you in the Capital?” Fox bit his finger. His apartment was in the Capital. This was building up to be one of the biggest coincidences of his life.

What Fox heard could only be described as a giggle, but coming from Wolf O’Donnell it probably should have been classified as something else. “Woah, slow down! Yes, I’m in the Capital right now! Have been for a while. And no, everyone else I know is either busy or off planet.” A slow exhale. “You’re all I’ve got.”

“Yeah, well that still sounds super shady and suspicious, sooooooo I’m gonna have to reject. Bye now!” Fox moved the phone away from his ear and hovered over the red circle on the screen before Wolf’s voice rang out from the speaker, louder than before.

“Wait! C’mon, pleeeeeeeeeeeease!” It was pitiful, but that was probably the desired effect. Fox sighed and returned the phone back to the side of his face.

“Okay, tell me what this is really about then.”

“I got a new car.”

Fox let out a long sigh. “And how do you know I don’t already have plans today?”

“Cuz ya would have told me already, dummy.”

Fox blinked. Well he got him there. Curse his honesty! He could have been done with this by now if he had just made up some preexisting commitment.

“Also, it’s like, past 2:00 and you were in the middle of yer beauty sleep. Yep, definitely no place to be.” God, he never talked this much while they were dog fighting. Fox didn’t know whether he missed that or not.

“Yeah yeah, okay wise guy. I’m not doing anything today. So why should I waste a glorious day of doing nothing on my vacation going on a joy ride in your new toy?” Fox moved himself to lay on his stomach as he hit speakerphone and placed the phone on the pillow in front of his snout.

“...Cuz it’ll be fun? C’moooooon!” He immediately regretted turning on speakerphone.

_Well, I was gonna try to find something to do today. And he has definitely piqued my interest enough, albeit in an insufferable way._

And with that, Fox’s willpower was broken. He wanted to find out what Wolf _really_ had up his sleeve, and he wouldn’t find out if he just hung up now. “Alright. Sure. What’s the worst that could happen.” He accepted, deadpan.

“Ah, really? Uh, yeah so I’ll meet you at 4:00 in Central Park?” The genuine excitement in O’Donnell’s voice threw Fox off a bit.

“Yeah, and I’m bringing my blaster, so keep that in mind.”

Wolf clicked his tongue in offense. “Well I’m not bringing mine! But fine, I’ll just have to show you that you don’t need it.”

“Yep, precisely. Bye Wolf.” And with a button press, he was gone, just as he had been for the past two years.

Fox rolled over and stared at the ceiling, mumbling. “Well, I don’t really have to go now, do I? He doesn’t know where I live.”

_Well, he did get my phone number somehow._

“Shit.”

Rolling off the bed, Fox started preparing for his impromptu rendezvous with his sworn rival. Life could be funny like that. After a simple breakfast (lunch?) of last night’s macaroni and cheese, the fox checked the temperature before choosing his clothes.

“35 Celsius? That freakin car better have air conditioning.”

Fox pulled on a short sleeved light green polo and some dark shorts which might have been a smidge too small. Whatever. It all breathed really well and that’s all he could ask for in heat like this. He stepped into some sandals and topped the outfit off with a pair of simple shades. Satisfied with the combination, he made his way over to his blaster case, hand hovering over the latch to open it. It stayed there a second before reaching into the drawer below, grabbing his wallet and slipping it into his pocket. Before putting his phone in his pocket as well, he pulled up Falco in his contacts. It’d be good to have someone know where he’s going, and more importantly, who he’s going to be with. However, Fox felt that explaining the whole situation would be more of a hassle than the possibility of Wolf trying anything shady. Putting the mobile device into his pocket, Fox opened the door to his apartment and descended the stairs.

Leaving the main building, the heat struck his body like a plasma bolt. He grimaced, shoving his hands into his pockets and setting off. Luckily, Central Park wasn’t too far away from the complex. Fox breathed in and yawned. The streets were bustling and the air was filled with birdsong and distant music playing from storefronts.

_So, Wolf had spent most of the time we hadn’t seen him here?_

It was odd to think about. Why would someone just up and leave the mercenary team they headed? It’s not like the Cornerian Army had grounded Star Wolf after pardoning them after they helped Star Fox. As far as he knew, they were still allowed to fly as they pleased, but would be back on the shit list once they took another illegal job. Why had Wolf stayed on blue, beautiful Corneria and not someplace seedy?

Fox was apparently lost in thought for quite a bit because he had made it to the park without realizing it. He shook his head as he looked for a bench to wait on, before seeing that Wolf was already there, standing next to a shiny new purple convertible in the parking area. He had a loose red button up with the collar popped, a white flower and leaf pattern adorning it. Only three quarters of the buttons were actually holding the shirt closed, with his white fluffy chest fur bursting out from where it laid open. Below that he wore light gray capri pants and some comfy looking laceless leather shoes. His eyes were hidden by a pair of shades, similar to Fox’s. This was completely different from the Wolf he had always seen, who dressed to intimidate. Aside from the clothing he also looked different physically. His coat had a healthy sheen, contrasting with the matted, dull look it always seemed to have over the comms. His fuzzy tail swayed behind him and the white hair on his head was longer, tied neatly behind him in a small ponytail. Fox continued to walk toward him the entire time he made these observations, wondering when he’d take notice of him.

_He looks…good._

Finally, when Fox was about 10 meters away, Wolf turned his head toward him. He flashed a smile and pulled the sunglasses up to his forehead, revealing the signature eyepatch covering his left eye. “Fox? Fox is that you?”

Said Fox rolled his eyes. “Of course it is, and you know it! You wouldn’t have said that so loud if you weren’t sure!”

Wolf seemed to ignore this as he looked the newcomer up and down. “Wow, Foxy, really? Ya look like an elementary schooler on a field trip!”, he chortled. Fox had closed the gap by now, standing just in front of the once grizzled mercenary.

“Yeah, well at least I don’t look like somebody’s grandpa. Where’d you get that shirt, anyway, the floor of a thrift store?”

O’Donnell grabbed the collar of the garment with both hands, pulling it up a bit as if to make a statement. “As a matter of fact...I did!” His look was stern for a split second before flashing his yellowed fangs again. Fox stifled a laugh, but quickly returned to scowling. Not fast enough for Wolf not to catch, it seemed. “Ahh, ahhhh! I saw that! Ya think I’m funny!” He then held out his arms, holding them there for a bit as if he expected Fox to know what he was doing. Once he saw this was not the case, he inquired, “Hug?”

Fox crossed his arm and narrowed his eyes. “No hug.” He meant it to sound mean, but amusement still slipped from his voice.

Wolf lowered his arms and head. “No hug.”, he repeated quietly, scratching his nose. He suddenly shot his hand up, finger pointed to the sky in an ‘a-ha!’ pose. “Oh, I know! Handshake!” He held his paw out to Fox, whose arms stayed where they were as he continued to wear his annoyed expression, betrayed by the slight smile that crept around his muzzle.

“How about a polite nod?” He suggested.

Wolf retracted his arm. “Ah yeah, I know how to do that. Hold on.” He closed his eye in mock concentration before opening it again and locking onto Fox’s. He nodded curtly, saying “ _Politenod!_ ” as he did so, once again causing Fox to grin as he returned the nod.

_Goddamn, what is he doing?_

Wolf could always be a smarmy asshole, and this version of Wolf was still that for sure, but with an added layer of charm and sincerity.

“Don’t see a blaster on ya, big guy. Guess ya trust me enough after all!” The wolf’s expression grew more joyous as he made this discovery, and his tail wagged idly behind him.

Fox became flustered. “I have it! You just aren’t gonna see it unless you pull something!”

“Pssshh, well yeah, that’s how concealed carry works!”

“Not what I meant!”

“And anyway, I can see you don’t have a chunky blaster anywhere on ya, with an outfit like that. So ha!”

“And what about you? I don’t believe what you said earlier about not packing anything.” Fox stated flatly.

“Oh! Oh I’ll show you!” Wolf began unbuttoning his shirt. “Ain’t got nothin under here but my fur!” Fox held a hand up to his eyes and averted his gaze.

“Woah woah, hey! No need for that! I believe you, I believe you!” The fox decided it’d be a good idea to drop this topic. He turned his eye to the whole reason he was supposedly here. “Hey what gives, O’Donnell? I thought you said you bought a new car, but that’s a ‘32 Icehawk! It’s like 50 years old!” He went over to scrutinize it further. Despite his claim, the car really did appear to be brand new, strangely.

Wolf scoffed and walked over to the vehicle, leaning back on it as if he were posing. “Well, Mister Automotive Genius, if ya did yer _research_ you would know that they just re-released this model since it’s such a classic! All the quirks of a new one coupled with-” ,Wolf smacked the door for emphasis, “-all the aesthetic of the old!”

“Ah, well I’m very happy for you and your new toy, but does it have air conditioning?”

“Of course it has air conditioning!”

“Then we’re starting this little drive now, I’m dying.” Fox walked over to the passenger side while pulling at his collar, tongue lolling out in a pant.

“Heh, alrighty then!” Wolf hopped over the door and into his seat while Fox opened the door on his side and climbed in.

“Uh, you do know this thing has this nifty lil invention called _doors_ , right?” Fox swung his door back and forth a few times for emphasis.

“Well my way was cooler!”

“Gotta watch the arthritis though, grandpa.”

“Hah!” With that, Wolf turned the engine on and the two men were greeted with a wonderful blast of cold air.

Fox leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Even with the top popped open, the rays of the sun seemed to be rendered harmless. “Y’know, I joke about your age but you _definitely_ weren’t alive when the original model was released.”

Wolf put the car into reverse and looked over his shoulder to back out. “Oh of course not! But it _was_ my first car! Was pretty old even at the time but I fell in love with it! This is like a dream come true to me!” The purple vehicle made its way out of the park, turning right and onto a busy street. “What about you? What was yer first ride?”

Fox froze up. He couldn’t let Wolf know he never learned how to drive a car. Well, not officially. Sure he could have figured it out without much trouble due to his expertise when it came to basically any other vehicle in Lylat. But he just kind of skipped right over basic car. “What!? Sorry, I can’t hear you with all this traffic and wind!” It was true that the noise surrounding them was immense, but it really wasn’t enough to drown out their speech.

Wolf reached over and flipped a switch on the dashboard, and suddenly the noise was negated. “Didn’t really wanna use the audio-dampeners, but if ya can’t hear, ya can’t hear.” He turned to the fox with a smile. “Now you can hear my lovely voice again!”

“Great.”

“Anyway, I asked ya what yer first car was.”

_Shit!_

Okay, he was just going to have to make something up. He scanned his mind for all of the car models he knew of. “Uhh, it was a MachBreaker. Really standard, really.”

“Heh, ya never forget yer first car, huh.”

“Yep.” Fox turned his head away and looked out the side, signifying he was done talking. The city rushed past them as the traffic around them dispersed more. Wolf seemed like a surprisingly calm driver, yet extremely capable.

_Guess his land driving translated pretty well into his space flying._

Fox cautioned a glance over to his driver, not wanting to start up another awkward conversation in doing so. Wolf reached into his pocket and stuck a data drive into a port on the dash. “Fancy some music, Fox?” The passenger simply shrugged, allowing Wolf to hit a button, bringing the speakers to life. The music was heavy, one thing about Wolf today that he totally expected. Not bad, though. Fox found himself tapping his arm on the side of the door as the loud music washed over him. Two tracks played without a word said. The third track, however, brought the familiar polyrhythms and eccentric playing style of Fox’s favorite band to his ears.

“Woah, this is 30 Leagues Under Aquas! You listen to them?” The young man had jumped up in his seat as he recognized it. Wolf was clearly startled but recovered quickly.

“Heh, you know it! Funny, I thought my music tastes would be a bit too intense for yer liking!”

“What? No! This is legitimately my favorite band!” Fox, bowing under the sheer power of the music, began playing an invisible guitar as he let his head swing back and forth, completely losing himself in the waves of sound. Needless to say, Wolf nearly lost it, but Fox could barely hear his laughter.

“Go Fox, go! You’ve got the crowd pumped up! Rock out, buddy! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Wolf’s high pitched howl brought Fox back to Corneria. He stopped going nuts and leaned back into his seat slowly, looking away as if nothing happened. He jumped up as he felt a hand clasp onto his shoulder and shake him. “Man, I can’t believe you know about 30 Leagues! I’ve literally been listenin to them since I was like, 16!” The look on the older man’s face was ecstatic now. Fox had definitely seen him smile more times in the past 15 minutes than in all the years he had known him.

“Ah, I only discovered them pretty recently, but they’re unlike anything I’ve ever heard!” Fox’s embarrassment slowly faded as he allowed himself to gush.

“Tell me about it! Used to listen to these guys in my Wolfen all the time!”

“I’ve never tried listening to music in the Arwing. Always wanted to focus as much as I can, y’know?”

“Pfffft, I always did fine with music. Sometimes it even helped!”

They both fell into a comfortable silence. Fox still felt a bit silly about his mini jam session, but Wolf hadn’t made fun of him for it, so that made him feel a bit better.

The drive continued without further conversation, as both men enjoyed the music and the ride. Fox had to admit, it was a really nice car. He started to think he made the right decision to tag along, even if it made absolutely no sense still. Speaking of…

“So, were you gonna go anywhere today, or just drive around aimlessly the whole time?”

“Oh, uhh, I’m kinda flyin by the seat of my pants here, kiddo. I’m all ears for suggestions though, if ya wanna do somethin. I was just gonna drive around if that’s all ya wanted.” Wolf’s bushy tail began to wag slightly next to him and Fox couldn’t help but feel like he fell into some sort of trap.

_Wow, I really just told Wolf freakin O’Donnell that I wanted to go do something with him._

It was true, though. With no other plans for the day, Fox wanted this little excursion to take as much time as possible, lest he be subjected to the boredom and depression that resulted from sitting around his apartment all day. Despite this, Fox didn’t race to come up with any destinations.

The car was now on a road next to a large bay as the skyscrapers thinned out, giving the pair a glorious view of the city. Fox squinted and could actually make out the Great Fox, docked some distance away from them. Wolf, clearly having seen it too, pointed in its direction. “Well hey, I can see yer house from here!”

“Hah. Funny. You should be a comedian.”

“I been getting that a lot recently! Thanks!” Wolf focused on the road once more before turning almost immediately back to his passenger. “So, wanna head over? Ya could give me the grand tour?” Fox snorted.

“Yeah, cuz that doesn’t sound fishy at all.” Adopting a higher pitched tone, he continued in a mocking manner. “Oh suuuure lemme just invite the leader of our rival team overrrrr! Show him our home base and all its weak points! Then we can make some cupcakes!” Fox fell back into his seat with his arms crossed, gauging Wolf’s reaction.

Instead of the laugh he expected (and...wanted?), Wolf just held up a finger and said in a correcting tone: “ _Former_ leader.”

“Hm?”

“I don’t lead Star Wolf anymore, McCloud.” He was looking at Fox with his one good eye, head still facing forward.

“...y’know, I think I had figured that out, already. But ‘ex-leader’ didn’t sound as good for the joke.”

“Oh, so it was only a joke? You wanna head over?”

“NO!”

~

The duo continued to drive, chatting occasionally as the city began to thin out. It was approaching 5:45 when Wolf suddenly pulled into a parking lot. Fox had been spacing out a bit and his ears perked up in response to the change in velocity. Wolf parked and turned off the engine, subjecting both once again to the heat of Lylat.

Wolf unbuckled and leapt out the side of the car, with Fox opening his door to follow. “God, are you always gonna do that? It doesn’t look that cool!”

“Sure it does! It’s how I did it as a pup and all my friends thought I was hot shit!”

“Yeah, uh huh. Anyway, where did you take us?”

“Food!” The gray wolf patted his stomach as they headed towards the building that occupied the lot, which was a simple diner. A perfect location on the outskirts of a big city for people coming and going. Despite having eaten after waking up, the microwave heated leftovers Fox had weren’t doing much to keep him full, so he was in full support.

Walking into the diner, the two were once again blessed with air conditioning. Wolf stretched his back out with an audible crack before heading towards a booth and plopping down. The sun shown onto him, making the white parts of his fur practically glow, his eye half lidded with a look of contentment spread across his face. The sight made Fox stop suddenly.

_To think this man used to be a feared mercenary…_

He was thrown back into reality by a few snaps from Wolf. “Hellooo! Did the sun fry yer brain? Have a seat!” Fox complied, and both relaxed for a moment before the waitress appeared, a rare sight as many food services opted for automated systems.

“How are you two gentleman today?”, the cat asked in a sweet voice as she placed menus down on the table.

“Just fine, sweetheart! Aside from the huge ball of plasma outside trying to burn the clothes right off me!” Wolf answered almost immediately, as Fox grabbed a menu with a mumbled affirmation that he was doing fine as well.

The waitress giggled at Wolf’s joke. “Oh, don’t I know it! I’m so happy I work inside! My name is Andrea, by the way. Shall I start you two off with some water?”

“Oh, please!” Fox’s face shot up from the laminated paper he had stuck his nose into, giving a pleading look to their server. Wolf just chuckled and nodded.

“Thought so! I’ll be back in a jiffy!” Andrea walked off.

“So, you been here before?” Fox probed, assuming the answer already by how quickly Wolf had pulled in to park.

“Oh yeah! Many times. Never met Andrea, though. She seems sweet.” Wolf tapped his claw on the table, not even looking at the menu in front of him.

“So, anything you recommend?” Fox was still scanning his, but found that nothing popped out.

Wolf leaned back with a smug grin. “Lemme just say, this place has the best burgers in the entire city.”

“Really? They don’t seem to be advertising them much...” Fox scanned over his menu again, this time finding the small section with the burger selection. It seemed to be mostly customizeable, with no weirdly named premade patties on display.

“Yeah, well that’s what makes this place so special to me. Lil secrets like that!”

Fox nodded, deciding that he would just get a cheeseburger with fries, a harmless choice that he couldn’t possibly regret. He turned to the back to see the drinks, which consisted of teas, juices, soft drinks, and beer, oddly enough. Then again, Fox had seldom been to diners like this, so maybe serving beer wasn’t too out of place.

Andrea returned with two cold glasses of water and some straws. Fox immediately ripped the small tube from its paper prison and greedily sipped from his glass. “So you guys decide yet?” Wolf simply stared at Fox, which he took as a sign to go first.

“Yeah, uh, just a cheeseburger with standard toppings and a serving of fries, please. Oh, and a Dr. Flux as well!” He then went back to his water, which he had almost emptied.

“Allllright then!” Andrea tapped on the tablet in her hands. “And you, sir?”

Wolf licked his lips. “A triple burger with barbecue sauce, extra onions, on a toasted bun. And some fried stuffed peppers, please!”

“Very well! And anything additional to drink?”

“Hm? Naaah, the water’ll do me just fine.”

“Alright! It shouldn’t take too long, so sit tight!” With that, the server removed the menus and made her way to the kitchen.

Fox looked over at Wolf, eyebrows raised. “Really? No beer?” He may not have known much about his former rival, but one thing that was well known about him was his tendency to frequent bars. Alcohol and Wolf just went hand in hand in Fox’s mind.

Wolf returned his query with a wide grin. “Nope! Been clean of the stuff for five months now!”

“Oh!” Well that was surprising. Even more so than literally everything else that happened today. “Well, congratulations, Wolf! That’s great to hear!”

The ex-merc scratched the back of his head. “Heh, yeah. I’ve been in a program for over a year now, and I feel like I’m finally makin some headway.”

Fox smiled wide, genuinely glad to hear about Wolf’s success. “That’s awesome! So is it, like, an alcoholics anonymous type of deal or...” Fox cringed a bit as he finished the sentence, his ears flicking back. He hoped Wolf didn’t mind him insinuating that he was an alcoholic.

Wolf didn’t seem to notice, instead looking up at the ceiling, squinting with his mouth slightly open. “Eeeeehhh it’s a bit more general than that. More like a group therapy sorta dealie.”

“Ah, well that’s cool! How’d you find yourself there?” Finally, he might start to get some answers as to what exactly Wolf did after they had last seen each other, and what made him decide to give up the shady mercenary life.

Wolf stared into his glass, and for the first time today seemed to be something other than happy. Fox almost regretted his probing, but eventually Wolf spoke up. “Well, why does anybody join those things? Yer life shit? You go get help. I’m just glad I got to the point where I could see how shitty everything actually was.”

Fox finished his water and was now leaning fully onto the table. “Oh yeah? I always figured Star Wolf made a whole lot of money taking on jobs nobody else would take. You must have been living it big, right?”

Wolf’s face scrunched up, and he took a sip of water. He placed the glass down with a sigh. “It ain’t that simple. Sure, the money was good, but it was dirty money. Could only really buy dirty things. Prolong addictions. Enable self-destruction...”, he was looking out the window now. “I...did a lot of soul-searching after helping your team, Fox, and I realized the path I was on was gonna kill me and everyone I had managed to care about up until that point.” His purple iris darted back to Fox, who jumped back a bit, not realizing how engrossed he had become in the story.

“So...your team members?”

“I’m still in touch with em, but they’re still in that life. Nothin as bad as we used to do, mind you, but still not stuff I wanna be involved with anymore.”

“So, you’ve been living here for two years?”

“Yep. Managed to find a dinky lil apartment with low rent that I’ve been able to pay off with the remainder of my money, but I’m gonna hafta find work soon.”

Fox traced his finger around the rim of his glass. “So, not doing piloting anymore?”

“Oh, no no not something that drastic! I still fully intend to go back to piloting! I still have my Wolfen and everything! I don’t think anything could keep me from flying! Just wanna do more honest work with it.” He was twirling his unopened straw idly between his fingers as he relayed his job plans, which Fox was relieved to hear about.

“Honestly? That’s good, cuz it’d be a hell of a waste for a pilot of your skill to be stuck planetside in a dead end job.” Any shame Fox might have felt before in complimenting his once sworn enemy had completely melted away in the comfortable atmosphere.

“Aw, shucks, yer makin be blush.” Wolf craned his head back and extended his hand toward the ceiling, sweeping it across dramatically. “Soon I’ll be joining you among the stars, McCloud!”

“Wow, you make it sound so romantic!” Fox laughed a bit at his own joke.

“Oh, I have that effect I hear.” Wolf punctuated this with a dramatic blink of his one eye.

“Was...was that supposed to be a wink?”

“It was supposed to be a wink.”

There was silence, but the friendly mood persisted, preventing it from becoming awkward. Andrea arrived with their meals, and they began to dig in.

“So whattabout yer dear team Star Fox? How’s that all goin?” Wolf managed to get out between bites of his huge burger.

“We’re doing alright. Mostly escort jobs lately, but that’s fine with me! Y’know on some jobs I almost expected your team to show up and tangle with us!” Fox started eating his fries and sipped at his soda. “But yeah, money is steady, times are peaceful. Even if I might be a bit bored, I’m not stressed, which is all I can ask for really.”

Wolf, somehow almost done with his burger, followed up with another question. “And the crew? How’s everyone doin?”

The orange furred man burped quietly from the carbonation of the Dr. Flux. “Scuse me. Uh, they’re doing fine! Like, nothing to report or anything...not that you know them anyway.”

“Heh, yeah, only their voices and how they act under stress. Hope Star Wolf didn’t scar the frog for life or anythin.”

“Slippy? Nah he’s fine. Spending his vacation making adjustments to the Great Fox. I’m lucky that he enjoys his work so much that he prefers doing it in his free time, but I really wish he’d take an actual break.” Finishing his fries, Fox turned his attention to the cheeseburger. “Peppy’s getting older, but it hasn’t seemed to stop him yet.” He lifted the burger up to his mouth, preparing to take a bite.

“Heh, Peppy still got some pep in his step, eh?”

Fox stopped with his mouth open, closed it, and stared daggers at Wolf in response to his pun. The culprit simply beamed from seeing the effect it caused.

“How’s birdy doin? Uhh, Falcor?”

Fox snorted before correcting, “Falco. And he’s mellowed out a lot lately, surprisingly. I think conflict riles him up. Although I also think he looks for that conflict now whenever he’s on shore, just in different forms like gambling and stuff.” Finally, Fox was able to take a bite of his meal, which he reacted to quickly. “Woah, you weren’t kidding! This is phenomenal!” He held the burger out and pointed to it, as if he could be talking about anything else.

“Haha! So was I right or what?” Wolf popped one of his fried peppers into his mouth.

“Very right! If this place weren’t so far from my place I’d come here every day!” In a minute, the cheeseburger was gone, washed down with the rest of the soft drink.

Wolf, having also finished his meal, leaned back and exhaled happily. “So, ya say Star Fox is on vacation now?”

“Mhm. For a week starting today.”

“And then back into the expanse! Man, just talkin about it and I’m itchin to go back.”

“You have a specific time frame for when you wanna start flying again?” Fox began gathering up all his dishes into a neat pile as to not inconvenience the staff.

“Nah, nothin too concrete. I figure it’ll be any time between now and when I run out of money” Wolf scratched his chest with one hand and picked at his teeth with the other. “Most that gives me is a half year.”

“Well, I’ll keep an eye out for any jobs for you!” Fox smiled wide, an expression that Wolf returned.

“I appreciate it, kiddo!”

Andrea returned to the table. “So, how was everything?”

Wolf chuckled and nodded to the man across the table. “Fox, tell her.” Their server turned to Fox expectantly.

“That was. The. BEST. Burger I have had in my whole life!” His green eyes were open wide as he flung his arms out dramatically, causing Andrea to giggle.

“Oh yeah, we get that a lot! We even have a tally going in the kitchen. It’s well into the hundreds!” She placed a small screen onto the table between them. “There’s your total! Just pay on there and you can leave it with your dishes. Have a good rest of your day, guys!” She walked off as both men reached for their wallets simultaneously, and then looked at each other.

“Fox, don’t worry about it! I dragged ya out today so I should pay.”

“What? You just were talking about your limited funds and unemployment! I have more than enough to cover it!”

“No, no, I insist!”

“Well, let’s at least split it.” Fox reached over to the device that had been placed between them. “See? There’s an option right there for it.”

“Hmmngh, fine. You win.” With Wolf’s permission, Fox selected the split payment option and the two of them touched their payment cards onto the screen, transferring the funds. They then both got up and walked out into the oven-like heat.

As they approached the Icehawk, Wolf let out a whistle to catch Fox’s attention before tossing the keys at him, which he barely caught. “Ya wanna turn with it?”

Fox clammed up. “Oh, uh, n-no it’s fine, you can keep driving. I was completely fine just being passenger.” He walked over to hand the keys back over.

Wolf eyed him in surprise. “Really? It’s a really nice ride! Probably the best performing car I’ve ever driven. Ya sure?”

The smaller canine placed his fist in his hand, releasing the keys. “I’m sure. You enjoy your car, Wolf.” He retreated back to the passenger seat.

_Now that was close._

Wolf did his stupid jump into the car again and turned the air on immediately. Before pulling out, though, he turned his gaze to the fox next to him.

“Never learned to drive a car, eh?” Fox’s eyes went wide, but other than that he didn’t move. Wolf sat back with an amused expression, clearly pleased that he was correct in his assumption.

Fox gave up. “Alright, detective, how did you figure that one out?”

“Well, all the people I knew that started out drivin in a MachBreaker turned out to be crazy bastards on the road! Never woulda turned up the opportunity to drive a beaut like this!” He smacked the top of the steering wheel with his hand.

“Seems like flimsy logic to me.”

“Well I was right, wasn’t I?”

Fox sighed. “Yeah, well now you know why I can’t drive your car, so let’s just go.”

“Well, I could teach ya!”

“Pssh, yeah good one!” Fox looked over and saw Wolf looking at him with a dead serious expression. “Wait, you actually mean that?”

“Of course I do! The great Fox McCloud, master pilot of all sorts of military vehicles never even drove a simple car! I’d be doin you and Lylat a huge favor! And my rates are reasonable! C’mon, it’ll be fun!”

“N-no I don’t wanna go to the trouble of all that an-WOAH!” The fox was cut short as he felt Wolf lean over and yank him up from under his armpits, moving him over to the driver’s seat and smoothly sliding himself over to where Fox had sat. The ease in which this was accomplished clearly showed how strong the larger man was. Regaining his bearings, Fox looked over at Wolf, shock painting his face, while Wolf’s was full of mischief. Defeated, the new driver of the car quietly said, “Alright, now what.”

“Well, first of all yer gonna have to adjust a few things, what with yer smaller stature and all that.” Fox nodded, patting his hands around the seat around him, looking for a button or a latch. After letting him play patty cake with the seat for a few moments, Wolf finally said, “Under.”

“Oh.” Fox reached below his seat and found what he was looking for. He pulled the seat up to a comfortable position, his feet resting idly on the pedals and one hand on the wheel. He looked over the dashboard, trying to find anything he could go off of, but the simplicity of it all clashed with the complexity he was used to in the Arwing. The car being based off an over 50 year old model didn’t help matters either. Fox looked back over to his new mentor, silently asking for further instruction.

Wolf pointed at the mirrors on the doors and attached to the canopy. “Now ya just gotta adjust those.” Fox complied, moving the one above him with his hand while Wolf showed him how to move the door mirrors using the buttons inside the car. Getting them into a position where he could see everything around him, Fox looked at Wolf for the next step, and he proceeded to show Fox how to put the car into drive and which pedals were the brake and accelerator. Finally, the Icehawk began to roll slowly out of the parking spot.

“Here we go!” Fox turned the wheel slightly to the left, finding that the sensitivity was a bit similar to the stick he was used to in space. Wolf clapped mockingly.

“Ya did it! Now just get a feel for it in this parkin lot.” Thankfully it was mostly empty, allowing the brand new driver ample room to move around.

Fox weaved back and forth, fluctuating in speed as he committed the feeling to memory. “It’s just so weird being in a vehicle where I can’t control its Z axis position. Even the friggen Landmaster can fly!”

“Well with enough speed and the right terrain, you can do that with a car!” Wolf cackled. “But that’s funny! Normal people have trouble wrappin their heads around full three dimensional movement, but here ya are strugglin with just the two.” He adopted the voice of a hoity toity professor type as he continued, “Fox McCloud, your psychological reaction to this is simply _fascinating_ and I am considering writing my dissertation on it.”

Fox snorted, steering in a smooth figure 8. He was glad he could stop pretending he didn’t find the wolf funny, because he really was.

_He was probably always a funny guy and we just never saw it because we never encountered him in a casual setting. A shame, really._

“Woah, hey! Heads up, Foxy!”

Fox transitioned from his thoughts back to reality to see he was nearing the edge of the lot now. He turned right to avoid going into the grass. “Hehe, oops.”

“What were ya thinkin about?”

_You._

“Ah, just how weird it is to finally be doing this, y’know? And it’s just so easy too! I mean, I always expected it to be, but I just never got around to it and the longer I went without driving the easier it was to just have it stay that way and...stuff.” Fox scratched his nose idly.

“Well, sounds like yer ready for the big leagues then!” Wolf practically leaned out of the car as he pointed to the main road they had come in on, and Fox’s eyes widened.

“Oh, no way in hell I’m driving in the city! We’ll die!”

“Didn’t say city. Turn left and you’ll drive through the country.”

Fox followed this instruction, and the pair traveled across the plains and forests that surrounded Corneria’s capital. Farm equipment and fields of solar panels whizzed past, catching the glint of the evening sun and reflecting off their sunglasses. At some point the music was turned back on and they simply enjoyed the ride. Wolf would periodically stick his hand out the window like an airplane, at one point swooping it at Fox and making laser sounds, which Fox deflected by swatting the hand-ship out of the sky with a laugh.

~

The couple of hours driving on that country road melted away as Lylat dipped low in the sky, its light scattering across the atmosphere in brilliant warm colors. The two canines had already turned the car around at this point, and were fast approaching the city once again. A small mountain approached them on their left, and Wolf tapped Fox’s shoulder and gestured toward it. “Make a right onto the road that leads up there.”

“Oh? What’s up there?” The Fox of just five hours ago would have suspected Wolf of using the remote location as a perfect location to mug him, but he didn’t have a single suspicion now.

Wolf flashed his sharp teeth. “A great view! One of my buddies in the group is a farmer out here and he told me about it! The path going up is sort of easy to miss so it’s kind of a secret.” He leaned his face on his hand and looked ahead, seeming happy with this secret knowledge he possessed.

“Oh nice! Alright just point it out to me when it comes up.”

The road in question was dirt, situated between dense foliage and was only really visible if someone was looking at it head on. Thanks to Wolf’s navigation, though, Fox pulled cleanly into it and they made their winding journey up, flanked by trees on either side. Eventually they reached the top, which had a fairly large dirt clearing. Just as was promised, the sunset looked stunning. An older looking goat in overalls was standing there overlooking the scene, turning to see the car as Fox parked nearby, and Wolf actually opened his door for once, getting out and walking toward the other man. He gave a small wave. “Hey Lou!”

“Heya Wolf!” The goat smiled heartily at him, his eyes then darting over to Fox before going back to Wolf, seeming to mouth “Is that...”. Wolf just nodded before turning back to the car.

“Yep, there’s my big purchase! Betcha didn’t think it’d look this authentic, huh?”

“Ya kiddin me? Fucker looks like a piece a plastic!”, the goat spat, once again turning his attention to Fox, who had gotten out of the car and walked over to the two.

“Oh yeah, uh, Fox this is Lou, the guy who told me about this place.”

Lou stepped forward and took Fox’s hand, gripping tight and shaking steadily. “Nice ta meetcha, Fox!” He disengaged his arm and walked past them toward the path down to the road. “You guys have a nice time now.” He waved without looking back.

“Hey we still good for poker on Thursday?” Wolf called after him

The old man replied. “O’course!”

“Huh, seems nice.” Fox looked over to Wolf, who had situated himself on top of the car’s hood, patting the spot next to him. Fox walked over and hoisted himself up, sitting on Wolf’s right.

“Yeah, he’s a lotta fun. Brings in food from his farm sometimes.” Wolf’s features glowed orange in the light as a slight wind moved his fur. He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, snapping a picture of the vista. From this high up, all the fields laid out before them for kilometers, with the outskirts of the city poking out to their left before being hidden by the forest. Fox followed suit and pulled out his own phone out to take photos.

“Man, that’s so friggen pretty.” Fox said quietly. Wolf smirked as he took another pic.

“Now aren’tcha glad you came with me to test out my new ride?”

“Yeah...” Fox was too enveloped in the view to say much else. He was glad. He was _very_ glad.

Wolf lowered his arm and looked over the pictures he had taken. He took a deep breath before leaning into Fox, right arm moving over his shoulder as he held the phone out in front of them, the front camera turned on as the image of a surprised Fox looked back at him through the small screen. Wolf had a huge grin on his face as he pressed it against the side of Fox’s own face. Fox managed to pull off a small smile before Wolf hit the button. He then brought the phone over for both of them to see, his arm still draped around the fox’s neck. “That came out pretty nice, don’t ya think?”

“Y-yeah.” Fox looked down at the screen, seeing the both of them saturated by orange, Wolf staring straight ahead with his huge smile and Fox looking like a nervous high schooler in a prom photo. Wolf swiped through the other sunset pictures he had just took, not moving from his position as Fox asked, “You’re not gonna post that online, are you?”

“Oh, nah! Just somethin I’ve started doin. Kinda like a photo journal. Here’s some other pictures.” Various images slid across the screen periodically. A picture of a group of people sitting in chairs arranged in a circle, an image of a poker table with various people around it, one of which Fox recognized as Lou, a photo of a street performer with a guitar. All these snippets into Wolf’s life scrolled along on the small device as the two observed in silence, Wolf’s right arm still not moving from where it wrapped around Fox, although he eventually transferred the phone to his left hand to make it less awkward. Fox moved his left arm from where it was practically being squished by Wolf’s body, placing it unconsciously on Wolf’s leg. The pictures reached their end and the phone returned to the ex-merc’s pocket. It was only then that Fox realized the intimate position they were in. He gazed at Wolf only to see him staring out over the expanse. This close, Fox could smell the mix of his cologne, body wash, and sweat more strongly. Their body heat coalesced, and although the setting sun’s heat was definitely less intense than earlier, it made the temperature uncomfortable in the position they were in. And yet, Fox didn’t want to move. His heart pounded in his ears as they sat there quietly for a handful of minutes.

_Alright heart, calm down! I know he’s not gonna mug me! Stop going nuts already!_

Fox’s phone interrupted his thoughts suddenly. He opened it up to see Falco had sent him a message.

-hey fox wanna hit some bars tonite?

Fox’s ears flattened on his head.

-Not tonight, thanks.

Fox placed the phone back into his pocket as Wolf suddenly spoke, his deep voice quiet yet clear, “I didn’t call you today just because I wanted someone to test my car with.”

Fox made an ugly snorting sound as he choked on his sudden laughter. “Well duh! I already knew that!” Wolf shoved him a bit with his free arm.

“I’m tryin to be sincere here, ya bastard!” He cleared his throat before continuing again in the serious tone he adopted before. “In therapy, we were all talkin about past relationships with people that were ruined by our addictions, attitudes, lifestyles, what have ya.” He scratched his nose with his claw. “And, the only person I could really think of that matched that was you. Y’know even when I was still in Star Wolf, when I would have sleepless nights I would sometimes wonder: what if our teams had both been employed by the same side? Could we be teammates? Friends? Even though we were enemies I could just tell you were a really good guy who didn’t deserve the stuff I threw at ya. So it came up again in therapy, and I told everyone about ya and they all pushed me to reconnect. One of em was able to come up with yer phone number using their connections with the Cornerian army.” Wolf looked into Fox’s eyes with a smile. “They said it’d help me a lot!”

_He’s so close…_

“A-and did it?” Fox swallowed.

Wolf showed his sharp teeth for probably the twentieth time that day. “You have no idea.”

Fox could feel his face erupt into flame. He blinked a few times as he looked back to the horizon. Lylat had finally begun to dip below the distant mountains, darkening the clearing around them. Wolf disengaged from their position as he hopped off the hood, much to Fox’s dismay. “I’ll drive ya back home, Fox.”

_Not yet!_

“Y-yeah, okay.” Fox shakily got off and got into the passenger seat once again. He took a few deep breaths, remembering his training on how to calm down during stressful situations. Of course, this wasn’t exactly a stressful situation.

_Man, what the hell._

Fox told Wolf his address, which he punched into the onboard GPS. The trip back went comfortably without a word, Fox deep in thought.

~

The purple car pulled into the lot of Fox’s apartment complex. Fox exited the car and surprisingly, Wolf came out too. They both walked around to the back of the vehicle and stood facing each other. Wolf’s fingers fidgeted and he spoke. “Hey, thanks a lot for comin with me today. I know you didn’t have to, and I really pushed ya to do it, and I don’t know if ya had that great of a time and all that an-” He was rambling.

Fox chuckled and rose his voice to get his attention. “I had a great time! And thank you for convincing me to come! I’m so glad you did! I didn’t have any plans and I’m so glad I got to hang out with a friend today.”

Wolf blinked. His eye looked wet. “A friend.” He almost whispered to himself, but Fox managed to catch it. Fox could feel tears in his eyes as well. He held his arms out, and Wolf gasped slightly. “Hug?”

Fox beamed. “Hug!” As soon as the word left his mouth, Wolf was upon him, squeezing him tight. Fox could barely breathe but he didn’t mind. The larger canine then lifted the smaller one up and spun him around, causing Fox to hang on tighter, laughing. Finally, Wolf put him down again, his hands on his shoulders.

“So, ya say yer still here for a week?”

“Yep! Wanna plan something else?”

“You read my mind, bud!” Wolf let go of Fox and wiped the moisture out of his eye. He sauntered over to the Icehawk and jumped in, prompting an eyeroll from Fox, once again. Wolf looked over his shoulder to face him. “I’ll text ya if I come up with any ideas!”

Fox nodded. “Yeah, I will too if I think of anything!”

Wolf backed out from the lot and drove away as they both waved at each other. Fox stood there alone for the first time since he had left that same complex hours before. He strode toward the building, making it sluggishly to his room, where he flopped onto his bed, heart racing once again. He thought about a scenario where he invited Wolf to come in for something to eat and it raced faster.

_Why do I miss him already?_

Fox took his phone out. He went into call history and selected the last number that called him, updating the contact information to ‘Wolf’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 30 Leagues Under Aquas would have a sound that's a mix between The Fall of Troy and early Periphery, I feel.


	2. Chapter 2

Fox’s sleep was sporadic, broken up by restless dreams of the previous day’s events. Every time he woke up he checked his phone to see if Wolf had messaged him, but the only text he received was Falco acknowledging the message Fox had sent hours before.

It was only a little past 9:00 when he got a notification that Wolf had texted him. Fox’s heart skipped a beat as he opened it up.

-[heya foxy! couple of friends from my group are having a beach cookout today at lunch time. u in?]

Fox couldn’t help the dopey grin that formed on his face as he replied.

[Hey! That sounds like a great idea!]-

He rose from his bed, already thinking about how to prepare for the outing. He started gathering supplies in a bag when he received another text.

-[wow ur up early! glad to see im fixing ur sleep schedule. i’ll come around ur place noonish. don’t wait til im there to get ready]

“Way ahead of you.” Fox mumbled to himself.

Once he finished putting his stuff into the bag he ate breakfast, took a shower, and changed into swim trunks and a red tank top. He still had around an hour and a half before Wolf would come, so he opened up the Star Fox group chat.

_Should probably let them know as soon as possible to avoid any conflict in the future._

Fox bit his lip, wondering the best way to word his message. After a few rewrites, he finally got something that he was halfway satisfied with.

**Fox**

[Hey guys! Hope you’re all enjoying your vacation so far. Anyway, I thought I should tell you all that I ran into Wolf O’Donnell yesterday. He’s no longer affiliated with Star Wolf and has been living in the Capital for the past 2 years. He’s been going to a sort of reform group and I spent the whole day talking to him. He’s really turned a new leaf and I’m going to spend more time with him on my vacation. So just saying, if you see me and him together, nothing malicious is going on!]-

Fox winced as he imagined himself in his friends’ shoes reading that message. It was worded so awkwardly yet he didn’t know how else to explain the situation. He just hoped they would all understand. Soon, his phone lit up. Fox closed his eyes and held his breath, ready for the fallout. After a minute, he opened the chat again.

**Slippy**

-[Well that’s surprising. Good to hear though! One less threat to worry about now.]

Fox let out a short breath from his nose. He expected this reaction from Slippy, since he was pretty easy going.

**Falco**

-[ah so thats why u didnt come out with me last night. collaborating with the enemy!]

-[haha just kidding i agree with slip here its good to hear wolf is out of the crime life]

Fox produced a relieved sigh. Falco could be unpredictable, but he was a good man. He was glad that he didn’t hold a grudge against their former rival.

Now he just stared at the screen, waiting for Peppy. The oldest of the four, the hare had a longer history with Star Wolf than any of them. It seemed like the other two were also waiting for his reaction, as no new messages appeared from them. Finally, a text from Peppy was sent.

**Peppy**

-[Okay Fox. I might not trust Wolf quite yet but I trust you. If you say he’s okay then I’ll go on your word. Just don’t let your guard down hey Lucy a package came for you yeah it’s on the counter wait no backspace don’t]

-[Sorry didn’t mean to send that.]

Fox rolled his eyes, laughing softly. Peppy always insisted on using the speech-to-text function and it never turned out well. He was glad he took it so well, though. He leaned back in the sofa he was seated on, content that he gotten the green light from his whole team.

**Fox**

[Thanks guys! I should really have you all meet him sometime this week and you’ll see what I mean! He’s really funny and charming! I had a really good time with him.]-

**Falco**

-[wow look at those compliments whens the wedding haha]

Fox blushed. He knew Falco was joking, but he didn’t even notice the words he had typed until he saw his friend’s reaction. He continued to chat with his teammates as the minutes ticked by.

...

Fox had ended up dozing off on the couch when he heard the door buzzer. He woke up with a start, and saw that the phone in his hand had a few new texts from Wolf, informing him of his arrival and then asking where he was.

“Shit.”

Fox plodded over to the door, opening it without even checking who it was.

Wolf stood in front of him with a look of concern that quickly morphed into joy. He was wearing a purple button up made from a silky looking material and some simple shorts that showed the white fur of his inner thighs quite well and-

“Fox! Did ya fall back asleep?”

Fox still held a dazed expression as he looked up at his guest, and he yawned to confirm his assumption.

“Heh, ya wanna take a few before we head out?”

Fox nodded. “Yeah, I should have another cup of coffee. You can come in if you want.” He turned around and lead Wolf in, his tail wagging slightly the whole time.

Fox’s apartment wasn’t anything special. He didn’t use it much on account of being in space most of the time. At most he would use it two weekends out of every month, not including occasional vacations like his current one. As such, it was only one room, blending living, sleeping, and kitchen areas into one.

“Wow, and I thought my place was small!” Wolf plopped onto the couch Fox had previously been snoozing on, making himself at home.

“Yeah well you actually live there. This is really just a place I can stay so I don’t go stir crazy in the Great Fox.” Filling another mug up from the brew he had prepared that morning, Fox made his way over to the couch, sitting next to his new friend as he took a sip of coffee. It was then that he noticed he didn’t get one for Wolf. “Oh, sorry did you want some coffee too?”

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks though!”

“Mmm.” Fox downed the hot liquid, thinking about the goodbye hug they had shared last night. He kind of wished he had taken the opportunity to sneak another one in when he opened the door.

_Man, am I really that touch starved? Maybe I should start hugging my team or something._

“So.”, Fox put his mug on the coffee table, “How many people are gonna be there?”

“Three, and one of em is bringing her two kids. Nothin too big, although the beach itself will probably be packed.”

“Yeah, no doubt. How old are the kids?”

“Three and seven. You don’t have a problem with that, do ya?”

Fox held his hands up. “Oh, no, of course not! Just, I haven’t really been around any kids that young in a while. Only the cadets in the academy when I go in to make appearances, and they’re already in their late teens.”

“Well don’t worry yer lil head about it! They’re well behaved.” Wolf, noticing Fox finish the rest of his coffee, stood up. “So ya ready to go?”

“Yeah, lemme just get my stuff.” Fox retrieved his bag and left the apartment with Wolf, locking the door behind him.

It was about as hot as it was yesterday, but knowing that they were about to go to the beach seemed to negate the effects. The pair made their way to Wolf’s car and its owner did his trademark over-the-door jump, losing a flip flop in the process.

“Aw, dammit! Foooox can you get that?” Wolf looked over his shoulder, giving a puppy dog eye.

Fox sighed as he picked up the footwear and dropped it into Wolf’s waiting hand. “See? That’s why you can’t be doing that all the time.”

“Okay, mom.”

Fox slid into the passenger seat and they set off. The trip to the beach was only projected to take half an hour, according to the GPS.

“So, I told my team about you and how we hung out yesterday.”

“Yeah, and?” Wolf’s voice was normal, but it was betrayed by the nervous look that washed over his face.

Fox beamed. “And they seem fine with it! Peppy’s still a little wary but he just has to talk to you for a few minutes before he changes his mind, I’m sure.” He reached over to the driver’s shoulder and shook him slightly. “We should all definitely get together before our vacation ends!”

“Heh, the last time we were all together it was in space and we were tryin to kill each other.” Wolf shook his head, smiling at the irony. “But yeah, that sounds like a great idea!”

“Alright then! I’ll try to set something up.”

…

As predicted, the beach was swarming with patrons. Wolf and Fox had parked the car and were navigating through the clusters of people, trying to find their own group.

“Hey Fox.” Wolf shook off some sand that had gotten under his heel. “I should probably tell you about one of the people that’s gonna be here.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Sam. He’s a...well, let’s just say he’s a ‘military enthusiast’.”

“Ooooooh.” Neither had to say another word. Star Fox may be a famous team that saved the Lylat system from hostile takeover more than once, but the average citizen never would expect that their members would be walking among them. Couple that with Fox’s mostly plain appearance and he barely ever would get recognized. Today would be an exception, it seemed.

“Yeah. Actually, he was the one who was able to turn up your phone number.”

“Hmm, guess I can’t really pretend to be bothered by that, since I’m enjoying the outcome.” Fox nudged Wolf with his elbow, but before he could respond, a high pitched sound broke through the bustle of the beach.

“WOOOOOOOOOLF!”

Two spaniel children, coming seemingly from nowhere, shot out and latched onto Wolf’s legs, throwing him slightly off.

“Wooooah woah woah, hey guys!” Wolf untangled the tiny arms holding onto him and crouched down so he was near eye level with the young dogs, ruffling the fur on their heads with each of his hands. Fox stood there, shocked at how quickly it all happened. Soon, a heavyset spaniel woman approached them.

“Hiya Wolf! Gladya could make it!” Her voice sounded like a sweet tart if a sweet tart could have a voice.

“Hey Anne! Are Sam and Danni here?” Wolf stood up again to greet the newcomer as the two kids ran over to her, circling her legs.

“Yeah, they’re set up just down the beach a lil. Luke! Show Wolf the thing you wanted to show him!”

The older of the two pups pulled the edges of his mouth apart, showing his fangs. A noticeable gap could be seen where the top right canine should have been.

“Woah, bud! Ya get in a fight? I hope ya won!” Wolf exclaimed, feigning shock.

“Noooooooo I lost a tooth, silly! I lost it all by myself!” The kid’s joyed expression changed to caution as he noticed Fox drawing closer to Wolf.

Seeing his friend approach, Wolf took a small step back to gesture toward him. “Oh yeah! Guys! This is Fox! Fox this is Anne and her lil gremlins, Luke and Madi!”

“Ah, hi everyone.” Fox waved sheepishly.

Anne stepped forward. “Ooooh so this is Fox! The man of the hour! Nice to meet you!” Her two kids peeked out at him from behind her legs, offering soft hellos after seeing their mom talk to him.

“Yeah, nice to meet you too!” Fox scratched the back of his neck.

“C’mon let’s go find the others!” The spaniel woman started to lead them down the beach.

Fox moved closer to Wolf, brushing against his arm. “Wow, those kids really like you, huh?”

“Heh, yeah. I’ve watched em a few times when Anne couldn’t get a family member to do it. They’re fun.”

Fox laughed softly. “You certainly seem to do well with them! Test run for when you become a real dad?”

Wolf snorted. “Oh god, no! I don’t want that much responsibility! I’m fine just bein the fun surrogate uncle.”

“Yeah, I get that. If I had kids I would have to either leave my team or barely be around for them, so I’d say it’s off the table for me too.”

Soon, they were at the location of the cookout: a large beach umbrella protected a small grill from the sun, where a short boar man and a taller rat woman stood, bickering.

“No, you don’t have the gas hooked up! The latch has to close! You’re making everyone breathe it in!” The rat snapped, the piercings on her face rattling a bit as her face muscles moved.

The boar took a step back from where he was working. “I’m telling you, that thing isn’t moving! That’s how it’s supposed to look!”

“Why are you even using a gas grill? That’s like something they used hundreds of years ago!”

“New grills can’t cook a hot dog to perfection quite like an old one like this! You’ll see!”

Anne clapped her hands together. “Hey guys! You can fight over the grill later! Wolf and his friend are here!”

Wolf put an arm around Fox’s shoulder and walked him forward. “Guys, this is Fox! Fox, this is Sam and Danni.” The three of them exchanged greetings, transitioning into Wolf and Danni looking at the problem with the grill, leaving Fox with Sam. The boar was probably older than both Fox and Wolf, but the way he stood there wringing his hands made him look like a shy child. Fox decided to rip the band aid off quickly.

“Wolf told me. You can ask me whatever you want.”

“O-oh, he did? Ahaha, oh where to begin. Well-”

Sam lobbied everything he had in him. Queries ranging from equipment specifications to battles, and even what his favorite foods were. Fox managed to keep up, taking moments to glance over at Wolf. After a few minutes, it seemed like he and Danni had managed to get the grill working. Sam didn’t seem to care much, as he kept coming up with questions about Star Fox. Fox gave Wolf a silent pleading look, which he returned with a sympathetic smile as Luke and Madi pulled him toward the water.

“So, what’s it like to be friends with Wolf now?”

“Hm?” Fox’s ears perked up.

Sam chuckled. “I mean, your team’s career rival? Must be pretty weird, right?”

“I mean, yeah, of course it is.” Fox turned his eyes back to the subject of their conversation, and he tensed up. At some point Wolf’s button up and shorts had come off, revealing only a deep maroon speedo, showing a body that was no stranger to regular exercise. The heat of Lylat suddenly became unbearable. “It’s...it’s pretty darn weird alright.”

“Y’know, I’m the one who was able to get your number for him. I...hope you don’t mind that.”

Wolf was now in the water, moisture glinting off his body as the sunlight bounced off his fur. He was laughing heartily as he played in the water with Anne and her kids. “I...don’t mind...at all.”

“Ah, that’s good! Y’know, I talked to Wolf about Star Wolf too, but he didn’t really seem too open to talk about it, but I get that. Looking at him now, I can barely imagine what he must have been like at the height of his career! What was he like?”

Fox blinked slowly, eyes never leaving the wolf splashing in the water. “Honestly, I barely even remember.” He said, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, I guess it was a pretty long time ago. Anyway-” He kept going, seeming to either not notice or just ignore the fact Fox wasn’t paying attention. Wolf had gotten out of the water now, and returned Fox’s gaze. In a flash, he was next to him.

“Hey Sam, mind if I borrow Fox? Promise to give him back!”

“Huh? Oh, hey Wolf. Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Thanks. I fixed yer grill by the way.”

“Oh, really? Great, thanks!”

“No problem.” Wolf pulled Fox away, who looked up into the taller man’s eye as they walked toward the water.

“You...you saved me.” Despite playing it off as a joke, Fox was only half kidding. He looked into Wolf’s violet eye, noticing he had taken his eyepatch off, allowing the scarred flesh where his left eye was stuck closed a chance to breathe.

“Wouldn’t be the first time, buddy. Yer lucky I’m so nice and don’t expect you to owe me anythin.”

“Well, maybe I’ll just surprise you with something one day!”

“Ooh, exciting!”

Fox took his tank top off and the two entered the water, the cool waves washing over Fox. He fell face first into it, letting himself relax in the movement of the tide. When he surfaced again he saw Wolf face down on the surface of the water, swimming slowly to where the kids were, holding a hand straight up on top of his head to mimic a fin.

“SHAAAAAAAAAAARK!” Luke and Madi shrieked in feigned terror, splashing away quickly. Fox swam over to the group.

“Guys, guys! Don’t worry! Sharks aren’t that tough!” He hovered over to where Wolf was floating, “HiiiYAAAAA”, and gave him a gentle blow to the back. Wolf hollered out in mock pain and began to thrash around.

The two pups looked at each other before rushing Wolf, assaulting him with all kinds of harmless little kid attacks. “Die, shark, die!”

Suddenly, Wolf shot out and grabbed Madi under her arms, standing up to his full height and hoisting her up onto his shoulders as she laughed with delight.

“Let her go, sharkface!” Fox held up a finger gun while Luke struck Wolf in the abdomen, which Wolf now decided had no effect on him.

“Make me!” He sneered.

“Pweww! Bweewsh!” Fox shot the finger gun while Wolf used a free hand to trace the pretend path of the shots, guiding them to his chest and then away from it, making ricochet noises.

“Nice try, Foxy!”

“I-impossible!”

“There’s nothin you can do! And now I’m gonna eat this innocent little girl!” Wolf held the pup above his face and opened his mouth, making an obnoxious ‘aaaaaaaahhhh’ sound.

“Fox, you gotta save my sister!” Luke pleaded once he figured out his attacks were also not working. The man threw aside his faux firearm and took a wide stance, his arms held at the ready, before charging Wolf head on.

“Oof!” Wolf gently let Madi fall into the water as Fox rammed his abdomen. Not hard enough to hurt but enough to actually make him step back. Fox wrapped his arms around the larger man’s back as he pushed the side of his face into his stomach.

“You’re going down!” Fox yelled, his feet digging into the sand. He could feel Wolf was legitimately trying to stay standing now, as he placed his hands onto Fox’s back and pushed back. Fox was losing ground now and his feet sunk deeper into the sand. Suddenly, he jumped up and wrapped his body around Wolf’s upper torso and twisted behind him, attempting to bring him down with his body weight. At first it didn’t seem to work, but with another tug Fox was able to send them both crashing into the ocean. The two pups watched in anticipation as their mom simply shouted in amusement.

Finally, the two canines broke the surface, Fox holding up the wolf-shark’s limp body. Wolf rolled his eye up and let his tongue drop from his mouth. “I did it!” Fox puffed out his chest triumphantly.

“Yes!” The kids paddled over to look over Fox’s handiwork.

“Fox, that was so cool!” Luke looked at him with sparkling eyes as Madi played with one of Wolf’s twitching ears. Nobody noticed Danni approach.

“Hey everyone, food’s ready!”

Wolf came back to life and craned his neck around. “Oh, thanks Dan!”

The rat took a moment to process the image of Fox holding Wolf in the water while being poked by two children before slowly turning away. “Oh my god, you guys are adorable.”

Anne waded over and collected her kids, leading them to where the grill was set up, leaving Fox and Wolf alone. Fox hadn’t gotten up, and lowered Wolf so he was resting gently against his chest, both looking out over the water they were partially submerged in.

“Man...that was fun.” Fox sighed happily.

Wolf looked up at him, grinning. “Wasn’t it? You make a really great fun uncle!”

Fox chuckled and looked down at the man in his arms. He was struck once again by the realization that this was Wolf O’Donnell. _The_ Wolf O’Donnell, scourge of team Star Fox. And they had just spent the past few minutes in the ocean splashing around like idiots.

“Fox! Shark! Hot dogs!” Madi called out, breaking Fox from his own mind. He looked down again to see Wolf locking his eye with his own. The coolness of the ocean did nothing to help the heat that was now wracking his body.

“Ready to eat, Foxy?”

“Y-yeah.”

…

Sam was right, hot dogs did taste better on a gas grill. Fox couldn’t exactly tell what was different, but they were the best hot dogs he had ever eaten. After lunch, Fox laid out on his towel next to Danni, learning about her tattoo business. Eventually he drifted off to sleep as a result of his poor night’s sleep, and was awakened by Wolf and the kids attempting to bury him in the sand. Fox chased them all across the beach.

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly, with so many things to do and people to talk to, and Wolf’s comforting presence with him the whole time. It wasn’t long before the sun dipped low over the ocean and Wolf’s friends migrated to their cars. After showing everyone his Icehawk, everyone went home, Madi and Luke hugging Fox’s legs before they left.

The two canines lingered in silence for a moment, before Fox spoke up. “So, gonna head home now?”

Wolf looked out over the beach. “Tide’s goin out now, and the sun looks really pretty again. Let’s go for a walk.”

Fox’s heart fluttered. “O-okay! Sounds good!” He liked Wolf’s friends, but he was also infinitely relieved to be all alone with him again.

The pair walked far out to where the water receded and then walked adjacent to where it still lapped at the beach, taking pictures periodically.

“So, gonna make it a habit to take me out to see the sunset every day?” Fox gave a sly smirk.

“Only if ya want me to.” Wolf shot back, and Fox’s ears flicked erratically.

Eventually they stopped walking and sat down on the sand, leaning slightly on each other, as Lylat sunk below the waves.

Wolf spoke first. “Man, I haven’t been here in such a long time...”

Fox looked over curiously. “Oh, you’ve been here before?”

“Yeah. Used to come here a lot as a kid, but stopped once I joined the academy.”

Fox blinked, dumbfounded. “You...you went to the academy? Like, _the_ academy? Are you from Corneria?”

“Born and raised. What, where did ya think I was from?”

Fox held his head with one hand. “Man, I don’t know. I guess I just always thought you were so... _different_ , you know? I mean, obviously not now but...”

“Yeah, I getcha, Fox. I can understand how you’d think it’s weird that yer greatest foe turned friend was born on yer home planet.”

Fox held a finger up. “Actually, I was born on Papetoon. Dad and I moved here after mom died, though.”

“Ah...”

“...so you went to the academy, huh? How’d that lead into space pirating?” Fox chewed on his nail.

Wolf’s expression faded to a more neutral one. “Well, I was all about flyin. Always was. Wanted to make somethin of myself through it. But I eventually became disillusioned with it all. I had fallen into some bad recesses of the net by then too, and that was back when Andross’s exile had just happened.”

Fox gulped. He had wanted to avoid the topic of the mad scientist in fear of bringing up bad memories for Wolf, but he had brought him up himself. He continued.

“On all the forums and communities I was a part of back then, he was the victim. The Cornerian government had just exiled a man who was trying to better society. That’s what they all said, and I lapped it all up. I was young and naive.” Wolf sighed.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Wolf.” Fox laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he turned to Fox and smiled.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve made my peace now. Just, never pleasant to recall.”

“Oh. You can stop if you want.”

“Well, we’re near the end anyway.” He cleared his throat and continued. “So, I loaded up a bunch of supplies and stole a fighter. I bounced from planet to planet trying to find out where Andross was sent, eventually forming Star Wolf out of necessity to feed myself. And the rest is history.”

Fox blinked. “You were still a student...you must have been so young then.”

“Yep. Just turned 18, actually.”

“Heh, that was the age I took command of Star Fox, actually. After my dad...yeah.”

Wolf’s ears drooped down. “Fox...I...”

Fox let out a long and staggered breath. “It’s okay, Wolf. It was Andross and Pigma that took him. Not you.”

“Yeah, but it was still Star Wolf.” He looked away, wringing his hands nervously.

“Yeah, Star Wolf.” Fox reached over and took one of his hands, intertwining their fingers and squeezing. “Not you.”

Wolf looked down at where Fox held his hand, and then into his eyes. His one eye had erupted into tears and he quickly looked away, taking a long uneasy breath as he returned Fox’s squeeze. The last trickles of sunlight danced off the tears that ran down his face.

“You okay?” Fox asked softly, concern clear in his voice. Wolf simply nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, just...it’s always hard going back. But I’m glad I got to talk about it with you.”

“Well, I’m happy that you’re happy then!”

The sun had completely set when they got up and made it back to the car.

…

Just like the previous night, the two men exited the car once they got to Fox’s apartment complex, circling to the back for their goodbyes.

“Thanks again, Fox, for comin today.”

Fox waved dismissively. “Pssh, you don’t have to make it sound like it’s a chore for me! Should be clear now that I like spending time with you.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Wolf rubbed the back of his head. “Well, about that. Tomorrow I’m gonna be busy all day. Got therapy and the gym and a lot of other errands to run.”

“Ah.” Fox felt a pang of disappointment.

“But the day after that I got poker at Lou’s, if yer in.”

“Oh, I’m in!.”

“Great! Plus there’s the whole meet up with your team, if ya still wanna do that.”

“Oh, yeah! I can plan that tomorrow with them.”

“Sounds good!” They stood there silently for a moment, shuffling awkwardly before they found themselves drifting closer together, melding into a soft yet tight embrace, Fox’s shorter stature forcing his face into the taller man’s chest.

“Have a good night, Wolf.” His heart was hammering in his chest.

“Are ya alright? Yer heartrate’s really fast.”

Fox drew back a bit, embarrassed that Wolf could feel that. “Yeah, of course.”

Wolf looked down at him and grinned. “If ya say so. Have a good night.” He withdrew from the hug and drove away. Leaving Fox alone once again.

_Woah, deja vu._

Fox returned to his apartment, showered off the salt and sand of the beach, and got himself a plate of food to eat in front of the television. He wasn’t really watching, though. All he could focus on was the empty feeling in his chest. Once again he thought about what it would be like to invite Wolf inside instead of him leaving. Fox grabbed the pillow next to him and squeezed it tight, burying his face into it, one thought dominating his mind.

_I think...I might really really like him._


	3. Chapter 3

Wolf refused to leave Fox’s thoughts as he spent the next morning getting ready for the day. He contacted his team and set up a meeting on the Great Fox to discuss supplies and upcoming jobs, but the most important topic on his personal itinerary was setting up the get together with Wolf. He was wracking his brain trying to find a natural way of transitioning into that topic when Falco suddenly did it for him.

“So tell us bout this whole Wolf situation.” The bird had his legs propped up on the table, never a stickler for etiquette. Thankfully Star Fox meetings were always casual.

Relieved and terrified that the subject was brought up out of his control, Fox stammered a bit. “O-oh yeah, Wolf.” He cleared his throat. “I think it would be beneficial for the team to meet with him in person in order to secure a new friend and possible ally to the team.”

_Yeah, we’ll go with that._

“Pssh, awright Fox.” Falco snorted but didn’t say anything else. Fox’s face heated up.

“I have to say, I _am_ quite curious to see what O’Donnell is like as a regular civilian!” Slippy hopped in with his high pitched tone.

Falco let out a curt laugh. “Yeah, wanna see if he still wears all that spiky shit. Imagine him in line at the bank wearin that! BAHAHAHA!”

Fox smiled sheepishly while twiddling his thumbs. “Well, actually he kinda dresses like Slippy’s dad.”

The frog’s high pitched “WHAT?” was followed by even more of Falco’s laughter.

“Oh man, Fox! Are you serious?”

“Y-yeah! Like, those colorful collared button ups and everything.” He had to stop himself from making a remark about how cute he looked in them.

“Awright, he’d better not disappoint then!” After the short outburst, the three of them turned to Peppy, who had been silent the whole time, arms crossed and brows furrowed in concentration.

Fox cleared his throat as he leaned toward the hare. “Are you okay with that?” Peppy blinked and nodded his head slightly.

“Yeah, Fox. What did you have in mind?” He was completely calm, but knowing him better than anybody else there, Fox could feel his unease.

“I was thinking lunch at our usual place tomorrow.” Fox had texted Wolf earlier about this timeframe, and had confirmed that he could indeed make it.

Peppy simply nodded again. “Okay, Fox. Sounds good.”

The rest of the meeting proceeded normally, adjourning with Slippy ducking back into his workspace, Peppy walking to the bridge to plot their departure route early, and Falco leaving the ship to do god knows what. Fox stayed seated at the table, pulling his phone out to message Wolf.

[Hey! Tomorrow for lunch at Puffin’s Eatery is a go for my team! See you there.]-

As Fox hit send his chest felt all fluttery again. He put his phone down and tapped his claw on the table, breathing steadily as he waited for the feeling to pass. It didn’t. He felt like he was about to burst.

_Okay, I need to talk to someone about this._

Fox ran through his options. His team was aware of his occasional interest in men, but the fact that the man in this situation was Wolf O’Donnell complicated things. Falco was good to confide in, but he would no doubt make fun of Fox for falling head over heels so quickly, and he didn’t want to put up with that right now. Peppy knew Fox the best, having basically raised him since his father’s passing, but his long history with Wolf would make the conversation awkward at best.

_That only leaves Slippy._

He stood up and followed the footsteps of the frog. His best friend since academy, he was the only choice that made sense at the moment, and Fox couldn’t keep his thoughts bottled up anymore. He approached the door to Slippy’s workshop and knocked. The door quickly slid open.

“Oh, Fox!” Slippy tipped the bill of his hat upward as he craned his neck to meet Fox’s eyes. “Are you here to tell me to go home?”

“Would you listen to me if I did?” Fox chuckled.

Slippy shook his head and smiled. “No. No probably not.”

“Well let me in then. Got something I want to talk about.” The frog backed into the room, allowing Fox to enter, closing the door behind him. Slippy returned to his tinkering.

“So what is it, Fox?”

Fox shuffled his feet. “Well, uh, it’s about Wolf.” Slippy suddenly turned from his work, eyes wide.

“What about Wolf?”

Fox held his hands up. “Ah, nothing bad or anything! It’s more about me than him, actually.” He walked over to a nearby chair and flopped down onto it. He let his head flop into his hand, fingers covering his eyes. “Just gotta get something off my chest.”

Slippy rolled his chair over to his best friend. “That’s why I’m here, Fox! I’ll listen to whatever you have to say!”

Fox took a deep breath before speaking again. “I have feelings for him.”

“For Wolf?”

Fox slowly nodded in response, hand still not leaving his eyes.

Slippy scratched his chin. “Well, that certainly explains the way you’ve been talking about him.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“C’mon, Fox! You used the word ‘charming’ to describe him yesterday! Don’t think only Falco picked up on that!”

“B-but that’s because he _is_ charming! And kind and really friggen funny and stupidly handsome and he smells really good and gives really nice hugs.” He ended his ramble before he could go on, burying his face in both hands.

“Wait, he’s hugged you?”

“Y-yeah, twice.” Fox peeked out from his fingers.

“Wow, never would have thought he was the hugging type.” The frog nibbled on his finger idly.

“I’m telling you, you’re gonna be completely surprised by him!” Fox returned his face to his palms. “But yeah, I’m just annoyed at how quickly I’ve fallen for him...”

Slippy rolled over closer, placing a hand on Fox’s knee. “Well, remember in academy when you were obsessed with Fara for a week? Then a few months later it was Bill? This could pass just as quickly as those did.”

Fox shot his gaze back up. “Slippy, that was over a decade ago when I was still a kid. This is the first time I’ve had feelings like this as an adult. I think they’re here to stay.”

_And I want them to stay…_

Slippy adopted a thoughtful pose. “Alright, so then what will you do? Tell him or keep it secret?”

Fox rubbed his knees. “Well, I was just going to keep it to myself for now. Plus it’s way too early into our friendship to be springing something like this on him.”

The frog cocked his head to the side. “Well, I think you should do what’s best for you, first and foremost.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Fox stood up, placing a hand on his teammate’s shoulder. “Thanks for listening, Slippy. I feel a little better now.” He opened the door and stepped out. “Sorry for bothering you.”

“You didn’t bother me!”, came the muffled reply as the door closed, but Fox didn’t hear it, as his attention was focused on the figure learning against the wall just next to him.

“Hey, Fox.”

Fox’s eyes narrowed. “Peppy. What do you want?” The rabbit motioned for Fox to walk with him, and the two set off down the hallway.

“I...heard what you two were talking about.” The older man’s eyes skimmed the floor, darting up to meet Fox briefly.

Fox let out a soft growl. “ _That_ was a private conversation.” Peppy didn’t respond, prompting an exasperated sigh from McCloud. “Alright then, so you know. I like Wolf. What about it?”

Peppy pushed his glasses up to his face. “I need to remind you to be careful, Fox! This is the same man that’s been hounding our team since your father was still in charge!”

Fox gripped the sides of his head, raising his voice more than he wanted to. “Oh!? Now you’re gonna pull this shit out!? What happened to trusting me?!”

“I did trust you! But now it’s become clear that this is way beyond what I thought it was!” Peppy brought his voice up to counter Fox’s. “Do you even remember what this man has done, boy?”

“To be honest? Not really! Because it all happened years ago!”

Peppy’s face scrunched up in a look of disgust. “What has he done to you. You don’t even remember the part he played in the murder of your pa.”

Fox was upon the hare in an instant, nose to nose. “The only person who doesn’t remember is _you,_ old man! Pigma used Star Wolf as a distraction to shoot him down!”

“And who would have shot him down if Pigma hadn’t?”

Fox shut his mouth as he retreated back a bit. “We...we actually talked about that yesterday. I could tell it hurt him to recall. He was _crying,_ Peppy!” They both fell silent for a moment. “You just need to meet him, that’s all I’m asking. It’ll all be clear then.”

Peppy inhaled deeply, eyes closed, before snapping them open and peering straight through Fox. “All that’s clear to me is how he’s manipulated you. It only took two days and look how far gone you are. You’ll defend his every action! He’s using you, boy.”

“WHAT!?” Fox’s arms shot straight out on either side, eyes wide as plates. “What would his plan even _be_? Stay planetside for two years and attend therapy _just_ for a chance to gain my trust? And then what? What would he do with that?”

Peppy began counting on his fingers. “Access to the Great Fox, all of our cutting edge tech from Space Dynamics, all sorts of information that could be sold to brokers for a fortune!”

“Fine! We won’t let him on the Great Fox! There, problem solved! Just...just...” Fox’s vision blurred with tears, leaning back on the wall as he began to shake. “Just leave me alone. You don’t have to like Wolf but don’t get up in my face about him. I’m a fucking adult. I don’t need you babying me all the time.” He wiped his nose on his wrist, grimacing.

Peppy’s previous enraged expression softened. “Fox...”

“I said leave me alone.”

“No, you were right. I need to stay out of this.” He inhaled slowly and stepped close to Fox, pulling him into a tentative hug. Fox didn’t pull away. “I just...I get so scared sometimes. I can’t lose you.”

Fox slowly returned the embrace. “Well, I’m not going anywhere, old man.”

“I know. I just let my paranoia get the better of me, and I let it out on you. I’m so sorry.” The younger man said nothing, and they slowly pulled apart from the hug.

“So, you’re not gonna kill Wolf tomorrow, are you?” Fox managed a sheepish smile.

Peppy returned the smile, shaking his head. “No, I don’t reckon so. I think you’re right, about just having to sit down with him and talk.”

“So, do you trust me?”

“I do. I promise. I won’t bring this up to you again.” With that, Peppy walked slowly down the hallway. A few moments later, Fox made his way in the opposite direction to his quarters. Once inside, he fell into his bed, pulling his phone out to see a response from Wolf.

-[awesome! do i need to drive u or no]

[No, I’ll make my way there with the others. I know how much you love driving me around but I don’t want to make my friends jealous.]-

[Also be on your best behavior tomorrow. Peppy just pulled me aside and expressed concerns about you so I don’t know how jumpy he might be.]-

-[oh boy what did he say]

[Just stuff about how you might be tricking me into trusting you so you can steal all our secrets or some bullshit. He admitted to it being mostly paranoia though]-

-[eesh. still isn’t pleasant. you know im not doing any of that right fox]

[Of course! And you’re in too deep now to pull anything because if you did you’d be dead meat.]-

-[scaryyyyy]

Fox grinned like an idiot as he calmed down from his argument. He laid there for hours, simply talking to Wolf about their days.


	4. Chapter 4

Fox had spent the night on the Great Fox, so when lunchtime came the next day it wasn’t hard to gather everyone and head to Puffin’s Eatery. A simple and mostly automated restaurant, it was team Star Fox’s go to location for food. The four entered the building, finding it fairly crowded, but not unusually so for that time of day. Fox pressed “Group of 5” on the tablet at the entrance, which lit a path on the floor that lead them to the appropriate table.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t wait for Wolf? How’s he gonna find our table?”

“He’s got eyes, Falco. Well, _an_ eye.” The team arrived at the table and took their seats. “See? There’s a good view of the entrance from here. I’ll just wave him down.”

“Let’s just hope he’s on time. I don’t know how long this place will let us loiter around without ordering.” The bird flopped down and drummed his fingers on the tabletop, Peppy sliding in next to him and Slippy seating next to Fox, leaving the sole empty chair between Peppy and Slippy.

“Ahem.” Fox quietly cleared his throat, turning up the side of his mouth in an awkward smirk as his eyes darted rapidly between the empty seat and where Slippy sat next to him.

“Hm? Oh! Ohhhhhh.” Slippy slid out of his seat and took the other empty one, leaving the one next to Fox vacant.

Falco glanced over. “Pssh, what? Slip forget to bathe or something?”

“Something like that.” Slippy turned to Fox and gave a subtle thumbs up.

“Whatever, you weirdos.” Falco eyed the order terminal hungrily.

Fox looked over at Peppy, who was making small tears in the edges of the paper napkins. “You okay, Pep?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He put the napkins down and folded his hands, eyes turned toward the door. They suddenly widened, and Fox turned to face the subject of their gaze.

Wolf had just walked in, looking around as he turned in a small circle like a lost child. Fox stood up and waved his hands. “Wolf! Over here! Woooolf!” With his back turned to the table, his wagging tail swept some of the napkins onto the floor.

Wolf’s head snapped over to Fox, and a wide smile appeared on his face. He quickly made his way over.

“Oh man, Fox, you weren’t kidding...” Falco gazed in amazement at Wolf’s attire, which was a colorful flower pattern overlaid on a black button up shirt.

The four of them watched as their former enemy strode cheerfully up to them, stopping in front of their table with his hands on his hips. Falco’s face still showed amusement while Slippy’s was a mix of awe and apprehension. Peppy was unreadable. And of course, Fox couldn’t show anything other than pure joy. He sat down once again and patted the seat next to him. “Right here, Wolf.”

“Thanks.” He took the seat, scanning over all the faces at the table, lingering on Peppy a bit longer than the others. He fumbled awkwardly as he turned his gaze to Fox.

“Oh, uh, everyone. This is Wolf O’Donnell, uh, obviously.” He put a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently. “This here is Slippy Toad.”

“Hi.” Slippy gave a small wave.

“Peppy Hare.”

“Hm.” Peppy nodded in acknowledgment.

“And Falco Lombardi.”

“Like we need the introductions. He knows who we are!”

“Well, actually Peppy was the only one I really knew. Uh, nice to meet on pleasant circumstances by the way, sir.” Wolf bowed his head slightly, and Peppy smirked.

“I agree.”

“Same for the rest of you. Thank you for allowing me to eat with your team today.”

“Oh man, Fox! What did you do to the poor man! Guy’s got more manners than my gramma!” Fox shot Falco an annoyed look, but Wolf just laughed.

“Welp, looks like I got full permission from birdie to be a total bastard now, Fox!” He smiled, and glanced down to where Fox still had his hand placed on his shoulder. Fox withdrew it and set it in his own lap.

“Well, Falco, a little manners never hurt anyone.” Peppy replied calmly before turning his attention to the terminal in front of him. “But I think before we have a civil conversation with our guest we should order lunch.”

“You read my mind!” Falco practically shouted, the noise thankfully absorbed by the busy atmosphere. The five men tapped in orders at each of their terminals, which receded into the table once received.

“Heh, haven’t been to many of these kinds of restaurants. Kinda cold feelin without a server, don’tcha think?” Wolf looked around the table for a response.

“Maybe.” Slippy finally spoke. “But you’ll get your food much quicker here than anywhere else in the city.

“Eh, I guess.” Wolf slumped back into his seat, arms folded.

“Hah, didn’t think you were the kind to crave interaction with people! Always thought you were the lone wolf type.” Falco snickered under his breath about the unintentional pun he just made.

“Well I think yer gonna find out that you don’t really know much about me, Falco.” Wolf moved his arms to the table, hands propping his face up. “Ain’t that excitin?”

“Well that brings up an important point.” Peppy joined in the conversation. “I think you should fill us all in on how you came to leave your old life and start a new one here.” His voice was friendly but his face was stern.

“Aw yeah! Did we shoot you down so many times you quit flying?” Falco sneered, causing the rest of his team to tense up. Wolf, however, was unfazed, flashing his usual toothy grin.

“Don’t flatter yerself. Fox already knows all this, but I’ll tell ya all the story.”

Wolf proceeded to relay everything he had told Fox the other day: his occasional self doubt when leading Star Wolf, the epiphany that occurred following the cooperation of both teams, attending therapy and his desire to return to flying some day. As he wrapped up, everyone’s food arrived on a self driving cart.

“Please. Enjoy your. Meal.” The automated voice caught everyone’s attention, and Slippy reached over to distribute each plate of food.

“That’s really great to hear, Wolf! I’m glad you were able to find your way out of the crime life.” The frog managed between slurps of soup.

Falco voiced his agreement. “Yeah! You could sell that story to a movie studio and just live off the royalties! Inspirational, Mr. O’Donnell! Simply inspirational!” He clapped his wings together softly.

Wolf nudged Fox gently with his elbow. “I like this guy, Fox!”

Fox simply smiled, relieved that his friends were taking to Wolf so well. He spared a nervous glance over to Peppy, who soon spoke as well.

“It’s a very admirable story, Mr. O’Donnell. And it’s clear what sort of impact this new life has had on you. But does the dangerous life of piracy ever beckon back to you?” The hare poked at his food, but refrained from eating.

Wolf nibbled his lip thoughtfully. “It used to, but really the only thing callin out to me now is space itself. Just to be back in the expanse again, the freedom of bein able to fly anywhere. It’s what used to calm me down back then, and I think it could still give me further peace of mind.”

“I see.” Peppy popped a dumpling into his mouth.

“Oh yeah.” Fox turned to Wolf. “You did mention still having your Wolfen, but you never told me if you’ve flown it in the past two years.” The ex-pirate shook his head as he bit into some garlic bread.

“Nah. Been kinda apprehensive bout it. I’ve been rentin some space in a hangar to keep it docked but every time I look at it my anxiety flares up.”

“Oh.” Fox twirled his spaghetti on a fork. “But you still wanna go back to flying, huh. Maybe you need a new ship?”

Wolf sighed. “No. Me and that ship have been through too much together. I’m workin on gettin past it in the group.”

“That’s good, because the only ship that can come close to competing with the Arwing is the Wolfen! It’d be a total waste to let such a valuable ship out of your possession!” Slippy chimed. “Uh, actually if it’s been in a hanger for that long it’ll probably need some maintenance, and I always wanted to see a Wolfen up close...”

Wolf chuckled. “Alright, Slippy. I’ll let ya have a look at it when I’m ready.” Slippy’s eyes lit up.

“O-oh! Thank you!”

The group finally focused the majority of their energy on eating their lunch. Wolf took a bite of his chicken Parmesan and his eye opened wide. “Oh crap! Fox ya gotta try this!”

“What, really? That good?” Fox had always stayed safe with his order of spaghetti and meatballs at Puffin’s so he wasn’t sure what the rest of the menu was like.

“Hell yeah! Here I’ll cut ya some.” Wolf brought his knife to the chicken, cutting a strip off as Fox scootched his chair closer to Wolf. Their shoulders touched as both of their snouts pointed down to the plate. Slippy and Peppy stopped eating, watching both men while Falco continued to gobble up his meal. Once the piece of chicken was free, Fox stabbed it with his fork and placed it into his mouth.

“Holy smokes! I know what I’m getting next time we’re here!” Fox reached over for another bite, only for his fork to be repelled by Wolf’s.

“Hey hey hey! Eat yer meatballs!”

“Oh, but that chicken is just _soooo gooood.”_

Wolf blocked the utensil once again. “Fork off!”

Fox retreated, looking down at his meal sadly. He turned back to Wolf and said in a quiet voice, “That wasn’t very knife of you.”

Wolf snorted and covered his face with a hand. Recovering quickly, he looked back at the would be food thief. “Oh Fox, I freakin love you.”

Fox suddenly choked on the bite of food he was chewing, pounding his chest to try to dislodge it. With a smack to the back from Wolf, the chewed up bit of meat fell back onto his plate. Fox blushed fiercely while everyone else at the table observed, entertained. Falco finally snapped from his eating when he noticed the commotion.

“What, you forget how to eat, Fox?”

He coughed a few times before answering, “A lil bit, yeah.”

_Did Wolf really just say that?_

He peered over at the man next to him. His fur glowed from the orange tinted lights affixed to the ceiling as he consumed the rest of his plate. His familiar cologne and natural body scent reached out to Fox’s nose and he became entranced. He didn’t notice Wolf return his stare.

“What’s up, Fox? I’m really not lettin ya have any more.”

“Hm? Oh, that’s fine.”

Eventually Fox pulled himself away from the attractive specimen next to him and he managed to finish his meal. Once everyone was done, Wolf stood up and announced that he was using the restroom. The Star Fox team all turned their eyes to Fox once he was out of earshot.

“...so? What do you think?” Their leader spoke.

“He’s very likable! _And_ he’s going to let me take a look at his ship, so I say he passes with flying colors!” Slippy bounced lightly in his chair.

“Yeah, and he’s a pretty fun guy to boot! Wonder if he acted this way with his Star Wolf buddies.” Falco picked at his beak.

Once again, Peppy was the last to speak. “He really seems to have gotten himself together. Excuse me, I have to use the restroom too.” Peppy stood up and followed the path that Wolf had taken just a minute before. Fox felt a jolt in his chest and he reached for his phone, but decided against it.

_Wolf is a big boy. He can handle a firm talking to from Peppy. Just as long as it doesn’t come to blows._

Falco and Slippy started up a conversation that Fox didn’t listen to as he tapped his finger nervously. A few minutes passed and both men returned from the restroom.

“Alright boys, time to wrap this up.” Peppy sat to his seat and gathered up his dishes. Fox placed a hand on Wolf’s arm as he sat down, giving him a concerned look. Wolf just shrugged, not saying anything.

“So what, a five way split?” Falco sat back, overlooking the messy section of table he left.

“Nah, I’ll cover the whole thing.” Peppy reached for his wallet just as Wolf did the same. “You too, Wolf. You were our guest today so you don’t have to pay for your meal.”

Wolf slowly slid the wallet back into his pocket. “Thank you, Mr. Hare.”

“Oh, enough formalities, Wolf! Thought you said you were gonna be a ‘total bastard’. ‘Peppy’ will do you just fine.”

Wolf gave a salute. “Roger that, Peppy!”

After paying, the group made their way outside. Wolf briefly showed everyone his Icehawk, which lead to a short conversation with Peppy about how his father had the original model. After that, though, everybody was ready to say their goodbyes as they all lined up to shake hands with Wolf. Fox stood awkwardly when it was his turn to say farewell.

“Oh, I know ya don’t like handshakes, Fox, so I’ll accommodate ya!” Wolf blinked and bowed his head slightly. “Politenod!”

Fox walked forward and shoved him lightly. “Oh stop it you idiot!” He followed this up with a tight hug around the midsection, which Wolf returned.

“So, I’ll pick ya up around 8:00 and head to Lou’s?” Wolf asked softly.

“Sounds good.” Fox leaned into the embrace more before feeling the stares of his teammates on his back.

“We should probably leave sometime today, Fox.” Falco snickered.

Fox pulled away, chuckling nervously. Wolf headed to his car and jumped in, watching the group after landing in his seat. He was met by confused stares from everyone but Fox, who had a deadpan expression.

“Um, doesn’t that car have doors?” Slippy pointed out.

“Bah, you guys are no fun!” With that, Wolf pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Star Fox to pile into Peppy’s van.

The ride back to the Great Fox began in silence, with all parties staring out their windows. Falco’s voice eventually broke through.

“So, when you gonna ask him out, Fox?”

Fox blushed, turning to Slippy and Peppy. “Okay, which one of you snitched?”

“What!? You told them but not me? Huh, some friend you are!” Mock offense painted the avian’s voice. “But no, _I have eyes_ , as you would put it. You’re obviously enamored with him.”

“I think they make a cute couple.” Slippy beamed at Fox, who blushed harder, covering his face.

“Guuuuuys!”

“Lay off him, boys.” Peppy put the van on autopilot as he turned his seat around to face everyone. “Fox, I had my doubts, as you know, but please know that if you do choose to pursue a relationship with Wolf, you’ll have my full support.”

“Th-thanks.”

“Okay, but Fox, he’s definitely interested in you.” Falco shook his friend’s shoulders.

Fox finally raised his face from his hands once more. “You...you think so?”

“Are you kidding? I don’t think he could even look at you without smiling. Not to mention how close you two have gotten in just a few days! I’m not saying you should rush in and spring the question, but just don’t freak yourself out thinking he’ll reject you and cut ties or something if you do.” Falco’s previous shoulder shaking transitioned into reassuring pats.

“Wow Falco, how sagely of you.”

“What can I say? I got experience.”

“Uh, by the way Peppy, what did you talk to Wolf about when you followed him to the bathroom?”

“Oh? Nothing, Fox. Just went to the bathroom.”

“Uh huh...”

…

The team had spent the rest of the day running the last of the errands they needed in the city before they would have to head out in three days, and Fox was dropped off at his apartment afterwards. He spent the few hours reflecting on the words of his teammates while he waited for 8:00 to come.

_Could he really share the same feelings?_

Finally, Wolf texted Fox, who made his way to the parking lot and back into the passenger seat he was getting very familiar with.

“Hey Foxy!”

“Hey, _Wolfy_.”

“Aww, I like that! Keep callin me that!”

“S-sure.”

The two drove off, making their way to the outskirts of the city where they had spent their first day together.

“So, uh, did Peppy talk to you in the bathroom at Puffin’s?”

Wolf nodded slightly, a look of amusement painting his face. “That he did.”

“...well? What happened? Did he go hard on you?”

“No, no, nothin like what yer thinkin. Just how he wants to forget the past and start with a clean slate for me, but...oh how did he say it...”, Wolf put on a Peppy impression, “ _If you take advantage of Fox’s kindness and hurt him at all, you’re a dead man_.”

“Oh man.” Embarrassment dripped from Fox’s voice.

“Well lucky fer both of us I don’t plan on doin anythin like that.”

“True, but I just hope nothing happens in the future that Peppy might misinterpret as such.” He ran a hand through the short tuft of hair on his head. “Uh, did he say anything else about me?”

Wolf smiled. “Only that ya care a lot about me and that I should be lucky that yer such a nice guy, and that anybody else with our history wouldn’t have given me the time of day.” He looked over at Fox, his face looking more soft and vulnerable than Fox had ever seen it before. “And I really am lucky. Thanks for givin a guy like me a second chance, Fox.”

“Oh c’mon there’s no need for that! I’m sure plenty of people would do the same in my situation!”

“If ya say so. But yer a rare sorta guy, Fox. Kind, loyal, good sense of humor. I always admired it, even back then...”

“Mmh.” Fox’s face flushed, unsure of how to react to the sudden compliments.

Wolf changed gears. “So, Peppy’s pretty protective of ya, I gather.”

“Pssh, you gather? More like he handed it directly to you. Sometimes I feel he thinks I’m still a teenager.”

“So, I’m guessin he had to raise you after...yeah.”

“Yeah.”

“Despite yer feelins about it, it’s still nice to know someone cares about ya.”

“I know, but he can be so overbearing.” Fox fiddled with his fingers as a question appeared in his mind. “Uh, I take it your parents weren’t like that?”

Wolf exhaled deeply through his nose. “Yer right about that.”

Fox’s ears folded back. “I’m sorry, it was kind of insensitive to bring up in that way.”

“Nah, it’s good for us to talk about our lives. Air everythin out.” Wolf cleared his throat and continued. “I’m still not comfortable usin the word ‘abuse’ when it comes to them, but I guess I could say ‘emotional neglect’. Sure, they made sure I was fed and everythin superficial like that, but I barely knew the folks, and they barely knew me.”

Fox’s heart ached as Wolf spoke. “Man, that’s...that’s awful. When’s the last time you contacted them?” Wolf merely shrugged.

“I reckon it was sometime when I was still in academy. Honestly, I have no idea if they’re still around or not. Don’t really care, to be honest. And I never met any of my extended family so in that regard, I’m alone.”

Fox’s eyes began to tear up. “Man, and here I was complaining about people caring about me too much. God, I must sound like an asshole.”

“Oh, no no that’s not what I was tryin to insinuate!” Wolf reached out and rubbed his passenger’s back. “Everyone’s got their own issues and experiences, and all their struggles are equally as valid as anybody else’s. We’re all in this world together, not against each other.”

Fox sniffed. “You’re right. I just got hit by a huge wall of self awareness.”

Eventually, the skyscrapers were behind them as they were back on the country road. The last remnants of sunlight dimly illuminated a small, old farmhouse in the middle of a field. Wolf turned into the rough driveway leading up to it and parked alongside two other cars. The two got out and walked toward the house.

“Man, look at this thing! Stone and brick! You don’t see houses like this very often.” Fox marveled at the architecture in front of them.

“Yep! Think Lou’s family built it way long ago. It’s super cozy, as yer about to see.”

The two men walked up the porch steps and approached the door. Wolf rang the old buzzer and waited with his hands folded behind his back as Fox gravitated next to him. Soon, Lou opened the door.

“Hey folks! Come on in! Fox, nice ta see ya again!” Walking in, a heavy smell of spices, grass, and soil reached Fox’s nose, complimenting the warm atmosphere.

“Likewise. Thanks for having me.”

“Make ya self at home! The guys are in the kitchen an everythin’s set up.”

“Alright, Lou.” Wolf noticed Fox looking around the room in awe. “We’ll be there in a sec.” The goat left the foyer, and Wolf approached the fox. “Told ya it was a nice place.”

“God, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a structure like this.” Fox moved into the adjacent room, which was generously furnished with all sorts of seats and sofas. Old knick knacks flanked them on all sides, seated on various cabinets. “Could be a little cooler though.”, Fox whispered, pulling his collar for emphasis.

“Ya, well I think ol Lou’s built up a mighty immunity to heat from all his work. I could tell him to turn on his air system for ya.”

“Oh, no that’s fine. I’ll be okay.” Fox still kept his voice low.

“Why ya talkin so quietly?” Wolf whispered back.  
  
“I dunno, I just feel like I’m in a museum. My brain is telling me to be courteous to the patrons!”

“Heh, cute.” Wolf made his way toward the kitchen, seemingly unaware of the effect his words had on Fox, who stood up stiff, blushing furiously. “I’ll be with the others when yer ready.”

Fox still hadn’t recovered, still unmoving as his mind raced.

_He called me cute. I didn’t hear that wrong. He definitely said it._

“ _He’s definitely interested in you.”_ Falco’s words echoed through his skull. He squeezed his fists together and followed Wolf.

The kitchen was a small, comfortably lit room with a round table in the center, a pitcher of water and a plate of crackers atop it. Lou and Wolf were seated there, along with a raccoon. The other man there, a lizard, sat himself between Lou and the other stranger as Fox walked in. Spying an empty chair that was (thankfully) next to Wolf, he quickly plopped into it.

“Ah, there he is!” The raccoon spoke in a higher voice than one would expect when looking at his large frame.

“Yep! Fox, that’s Vernon.” Wolf then motioned toward the lizard. “And this is Maj.”

“It is nice to be meeting you, Fox.” Maj’s Venomian accent was heavy on his tongue.

Fox returned the greetings, still distracted by his previous thoughts.

“So, how’re ya at poker, Fox?”, Lou queried as he shuffled a deck of cards.

“I’ve played a few times. We’re not betting actual money, are we?” The question caused Vernon to bust out laughing.

“Nah, man! Totally friendly game! I mean, the whole reason I’m in our therapy group is cuz of gambling, so that’d be a problem!”

“Ah, so this is kind of like non-alcoholic beer for you?”

“I guess so!”

Lou dealt the cards and they began to play. Fox paid little attention to the game, however, as his former train of thought barreled forward again.

_He wasn’t calling me cute, just the way I was thinking. It’s like saying a kid is cute when they have an innocent view of something._

Fox’s brows furrowed as his thoughts countered themselves.

_Yeah, but that’s really only one degree separated from actually calling me cute! Plus that comment back at Puffin’s. He could really like me!_

_Orrrr he’s a naturally charismatic guy who just naturally seems like he’s flirting. The same thing happened with Bill! Don’t forget that little heartbreak!_

The back and forth inside his brain continued like that for a few hands, causing him to fold almost every time. After about an hour of playing, the majority of the chips on the table belonged to Lou and Maj.

_Okay, the best way to find out if Wolf is possibly interested in me would be to ask one of his friends privately. From the sounds of it, they all know who I am, and I already know he’s talked about me in therapy. It’s the best way._

_Yeah, if you like to breach privacy._

Wolf saw the distant look on Fox’s face and gave his back a few gentle pats. “It’s alright, bud. I’m doin pretty poorly too.”

Fox smirked. “I’m fine, Wolf. I don’t really care if I win or not.”

_I won’t have to ask specifics. Just try to get an idea of how he feels about me from one of them. I’ll be as respectful to Wolf’s privacy as possible._

“Welp!” Lou slapped his knees and rose from his chair. “I think this is innermission. I’m goin out fer a smoke.” The rest of the people at the table began to talk idly as Fox stood up to follow the old goat.

“Hey Lou, can you show me where the bathroom is?”

“Sure, Fox. This way.” Lou lead Fox near the entrance, and pointed to a door nearby. “In there.”

“Ah, thanks.”, Fox said quietly, “But I don’t actually have to go. Can I join you?”

Lou raised an eyebrow. “Alrighty then.” Fox followed the farmer outside, the older man leaning on the porch railing as he took out a cigarette. He held the box out to Fox, who held his hand up to decline. Lou lit the cig and took a drag. “So what’s goin on?”

Fox propped his elbows on the railing next to him. “Well, it’s kind of a weird question...”

“Well I might jus have a weird answer.” Lou winked at him.

Fox snorted. “Alright wise guy.” He looked out into the darkness as he continued. “I know that I’ve been brought up as a topic of discussion by Wolf in your group get togethers.” He turned back to the goat. “I’m just...curious about how he talks about me, or if he’s said anything, you know?”

Lou was silent for a moment, blowing some smoke out. “Are ya still havin doubts?”

“Doubts?”

“That ‘is motivations ain’t well intentioned?”

“Oh, no no no! No he’s a really great guy, and I’m glad he reached out to me...”

Lou stood up straight, looking Fox in the eye. “Well, I’ll tell ya this: the man cares about ya. He thinks real highly of ya and wants ta make up fer ‘is past.” He moved forward, resting his palm on Fox’s shoulder. “The guy’s been through a lot of shit. Dark shit. But I can tell, even from these brief inneractions I’ve observed, yer easin him more smoothly into a normal life than anythin else has so far. This is the happiest I’ve seen ‘im in all the time I’ve known ‘im.”

Fox returned to staring into the night, absorbing all the information. Lou resumed talking.

“I think yer the best thing that’s happened ta ‘im in a while. Please keep doin what yer doin.” He put out the cigarette and went back inside, leaving Fox with his thoughts once again.

_Well, that didn’t tell me much, but I’m glad I heard it._

Fox took a deep breath and followed Lou inside. Wolf perked up when he entered the kitchen. “Hey Fox, ya ready for round two?”

Fox sat back in the chair next to him. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

…

The next few hours of poker proceeded just as the first did, with Lou and Maj cleaning house and Fox barely paying attention. Once it hit 1:00 everything wrapped up, and everyone piled into their cars and left. Fox began to doze when Wolf suddenly spoke.

“So, ya have fun?”

“Hmm? Ah, yeah.”

“Ya seemed a bit spacey.”

“Yeah, just a bit tired.” Fox rested his head on his hand, trying to find a comfortable position. He could hear Wolf sigh next to him.

“Fox...you know I’m not up to anythin, right? That I genuinely enjoy spendin time with you?”

Fox’s ears flicked. “Yeah, yeah of course! I know, Wolf! Don’t worry!”

“And...and you trust me, right?” Wolf’s finger drummed on the steering wheel rapidly.

“Absolutely!”

Wolf let out a slow breath. “Okay. Thanks.”

Fox wanted to question further about Wolf’s sudden doubts, but the quiet ride of the car lulled him to sleep.

…

The two made it to Fox’s apartment at around 2:30, and they both exited the car to meet near the trunk, as if it were tradition. Wolf spoke first.

“So, how’s tomorrow for ya gonna be?”

“No plans on my end. You have something in mind again?”

Wolf grinned. “As a matter of fact, I do! But I wanna keep it a surprise. Don’t worry, you’ll love it!”

“Oooooh.” Fox yawned. “Mysterious.”

_Invite him in._

“Man, ya really are tired. Ya need help in?”

_He literally just offered to bring you to your room. INVITE HIM IN!_

“Nahh, I’m fine.” Fox stumbled into Wolf’s arms, giving a clumsy hug. “G’nite, Wolfy.”

“Nite, Foxy.” Wolf pulled away and walked toward his car, opening the door to get in, and soon driving off.

Fox wiped his eyes, sighing. “I’m such an idiot.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Okay, but really, can you at least tell me if I should be prepared for something?” Fox was being driven to an unknown location by Wolf, who remained deceptively cryptic.

“Oh, don’t worry Foxy! I got everythin under control! Don’t worry yer pretty lil head about it.”

Fox slumped back into his seat, unable to keep a smile from his face. He generally was one to dislike surprises, and yet...

The car sped its way to the lower districts, bordering on the southern edge of the city. Soon, rows of large, stout buildings appeared, and Wolf pulled into a lot next to one. Fox’s smile grew larger. They parked and made their way toward the hangar, which had a multitude of large doors lining the side, bordering on a sizable strip of land where other ships could be seen ready to launch from their support frames.

“Today’s the day, Foxy!” Wolf had walked in front of Fox, and turned around to face him in a dramatic flourish. “Wolf O’Donnell takes to the skies again!”

Fox’s smile wavered a bit. “If you think you’re ready! I mean, considering what you said at Puffin’s yesterday...”

Wolf looked intently at Fox. “Believe me, I’m ready!”

The two walked past a few dozen doors, observing a couple of ships shoot off into the sky as they did. Fox hadn’t been to a public use airport in many years, so the sight of ships launching in atmosphere from the ground was a bit foreign to him. His eyes were fixed on another imminent takeoff when Wolf suddenly stopped, causing Fox to bump into him slightly.

“This is it!” Wolf used Fox’s closeness to wrap an arm around him as they both looked up at the hangar door, emblazoned with the number 0438. Wolf walked forward, guiding Fox along with him, until they came to the door control. Wolf reached into his wallet and pulled out a card with a holographic design integrated into it. He held it up to the device and it beeped in confirmation. Pressing a green button, the door began to open.

The ship that had once caused numerous problems for Fox and his crew sat suspended about a meter above the ground, held by a large frame, just as the ships outside had been. The four wings and nose of the Wolfen were sharp as knives, giving it a dangerous appearance. Along with its red accents, it served as a perfect foil to the Arwing. Fox could feel his stomach turning slightly, and he looked to Wolf, who had made his way over to a nearby storage locker.

“You sure it’s alright to fly this thing? Didn’t you say you needed Slippy to look at it before taking it out again?” Fox approached Wolf, eyes never leaving the Wolfen.

Wolf turned around, two EVA capable flightsuits in his arms. “Well yeah, I couldn’t leave the poor guy hangin!” He shifted his gaze to his ship. “But the truth is, I’ve been doin maintenance on it every week for a while now.”

Fox cocked his head. “Thought you got anxiety from being around it?”

Nodding, Wolf explained. “Yeah, but I got to a point where I could work on it without much trouble. Sitting in the cockpit is the only real problem I have now, but today I think I’ll be fine.” He handed one of the flightsuits to Fox. “Here, put this on.”

Taking the suit, Fox glanced around. “Uh, is there anywhere to change?”

“Nope!” Wolf had taken his own suit and made his way to the other side of the Wolfen. “Don’t worry, I won’t look.”

Fox felt his face warm up as he waited for his friend to make his way to the opposite side of the ship, but the view wasn’t cut off completely, as he could still see his legs. When he saw his pants fall around his ankles, Fox turned around quickly and focused on removing his own clothes. Soon he stood in his underwear, taking a sideways glance out the door to make sure nobody was walking by.

_There really should be a changing room in here…_

He held the flightsuit out, letting it unfurl to the ground. It appeared to be a one-size-fits-all variety, unlike the custom fit ones used by Star Fox. Fox stepped into it, filling each part of it with his body, tucking his tail into the compartment that wrapped around the left leg. With a press of a button on the wrist, the suit adjusted to his body shape, hugging it tightly while creating a vacuum seal. Looking down at it, he scowled.

_Sure doesn’t leave much to the imagination…_

“All done?”, Wolf called from the other side of the hangar.

“Yeah!” At Fox’s confirmation, Wolf appeared from behind the frame keeping the ship in place. His fit form was even more apparent now than it had been at the beach.

“Ya ready to fly?” Snapping Fox from his thoughts, Wolf stood at the foot of some steep stairs leading up to the Wolfen, familiar toothy grin worn once again.

“You know it!”

The two ascended the steps, Wolf in front of Fox. The material of his flightsuit hugged his rear comfortably, and Fox tried to look anywhere else.

_This is just goddamn unfair._

Wolf was sitting in the pilot seat when Fox reached the top. A small seat was nestled behind it, which Fox lowered himself into. Once seated, Wolf handed him a helmet. “Just until we breach the atmosphere. Regulations and all that.” Nodding, Fox pulled the helmet over his face, tugging it down until he heard the familiar hiss that confirmed the seal had formed. Wolf did the same.

A few moments passed as nothing happened. “How you feeling?” Fox had reached around to tap the pilot’s shoulder.

“I’m alright.” Wolf took a deep breath, closed the cockpit and opened a communications channel. “Hailing central tower.”

Static blared for a couple of seconds before the response came through. “Central tower. Go ahead.”

Wolf’s usual casual tone had turned precise and business like. “This is hangar 0438. Vehicle designation: Wolfen All Range Type Spacecraft, serial MWF-557932. Requesting a window to launch.”

Static again. “Please state your name, pilot.”

There was a pause. “Wolf O’Donnell.”

The voice on the other end took about a minute to respond. “Took you a while to get in your Wolfen again. Not thinking of joining your friends, are you?” Fox heard Wolf growl slightly.

“No, I am not.”

“Good. I assume I don’t need to remind you of your current restriction to Cornerian airspace, correct?”

“Correct! I know the deal! Just tell me if you’ll give me a window.” Venom dripped from his voice. Fox hadn’t heard a tone like that from him since the old days.

“One moment, we have to scan your craft.” A shrill buzz sounded briefly. “Weapons systems are confirmed neutralized, FTL limiter still in place. O’Donnell, we detect a passenger in your craft. Please identify.”

Wolf turned in his seat to face Fox, helmet visor hiding any emotion he might be feeling. “Fox McCloud here.” The younger man spoke up. “I’m here because I want to be, in case you’re thinking anything differently.”

The channel crackled to life again. “Voice confirmation that passenger is Fox McCloud. What are you doing in that ship, McCloud? Babysitting?”

Fox grunted. “You’re speaking in a highly unprofessional manner, controller. All you need to know is I’m here with Wolf voluntarily.”

“Excuse me, sir. I apologize. Uh, launch window has been confirmed for 16:33. Have a nice flight.”

“Acknowledged.” Wolf spoke into the channel, cutting it off curtly. “Jag-off...”, he mumbled under his breath. Silence enveloped the cockpit. Fox cleared his throat quietly. Wolf leaned his head back into his seat. “Didn’t think they’d give me that much trouble.”, he muttered.

“It was very uncalled for.”, Fox assured. More silence followed.

“You’re not mad at me, right?”

“What for?”

“Well, for not tellin you about my restricted movement. It was part of our deal with General Pepper to clear our crime records. Our ships’ wings were clipped, but my team managed to circumvent those measures and took off one day. They wanted me to come too, but I refused.” Wolf sighed deeply. “I didn’t wanna tell you. I feel like an animal in a cage. It’s humiliating. But the worst part is that I deserve it.”

Fox wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t like what Wolf said about himself, but he also had another question. “So, you don’t actually want to be here?”

“No, I do. I truly love it here, and have enjoyed my time. But, not being able to fly throughout Lylat anymore...” Wolf trailed off into silence.

Fox rested a hand on the other man’s shoulder, rubbing reassuringly. “You don’t deserve that, Wolf. Not anymore. You’re a good man.”

“Thanks...”

He continued to rub Wolf’s shoulder. “So, is there any way to lift these restrictions?” The pilot nodded.

“Wait ten years, or find a job with a respectable organization that does interplanetary business. Of course, I was plannin on the latter eventually.”

The frame holding the Wolfen suddenly stirred to life, moving forward on a rail embedded in the floor until it was outside on the strip. It ground to a halt, and began to slowly angle the nose of the ship skyward. The two men strapped themselves in as an automated voice spoke.

“One minute until mag-rail launch.”

Said mag-rail extended from the frame, stretching a good 20 meters into the air.

“How are you feeling, Wolf?”  
  
“I’ll be fine. Thanks for the concern.”

“T-minus 10.”

The voice counted down. Once at zero, the Wolfen hitched up slightly, moving slowly at first but then accelerating rapidly to the end of the rail, where it was released into the sky, now dependent on the ship’s own propulsion. Wolf flicked a series of switches and pulled a throttle, and the Wolfen roared to life. It was much louder than the Arwing. Wolf brought the G-diffuser system online, significantly decreasing the gravity felt as they ascended. The Wolfen screeched skyward, the atmosphere quickly thinning out as blue transitioned to black.

“Hah HA!” All of the negative emotions Wolf had been feeling previously seemingly vanished as he pulled off a variety of air maneuvers. “Ya don’t forget this, eh Foxy?”

“Never!” Fox laughed along with him. He looked down onto the planet below, whizzing past at great speed as the drag from the receding atmosphere lessened.

“Ya said ya wanted me to show ya a sunset every day? Well how about more than one?” Wolf pushed the throttle forward, flicking two switches with his other hand at the same time. Although faster than light capabilities were removed, the Wolfen could still approach a pretty respectable speed. Corneria became a blur as the craft raced around its equator. Lylat appeared from the horizon and flew above and behind them, only to pop up again ten seconds later, over and over again.

“Wolfy,”, Fox chuckled softly, “I appreciate the sentiment, but these are sunrises.”

“Awh, screw off, would ya Foxy? Yer ruinin my fun!” He turned the craft north, stopping it at the pole. Finally stationary, the two felt the effects of zero-G, arms floating up slightly but bodies being held firm by the seatbelts. Wolf removed his helmet and stowed it in its compartment and Fox followed suit. He never enjoyed wearing them, and he assumed Wolf felt the same way.

Outside the window the ice caps of Corneria sat, blending in with the clouds in a void of whiteness. Wolf flipped the craft, moving the vista directly above them. Now the two could view the scenery while they heads were resting comfortably in their chairs.

“Lessee if I got my tunes still loaded on this thing...” Wolf used a claw to press a few buttons on a piece of control panel that looked different from the rest of the ship’s architecture. With a few more button presses, the shrill scream of a vocalist shattered the silence, causing his ears to fold back. “No no, not the right mood!” Fox cocked his head as the other man filed through tracks, finally stopping on a calm yet beautifully composed guitar piece. “There we go!”

Fox floated slightly off his seat, still constrained by the belt. “Alright! Now what?”

Wolf turned back and grinned. “A scenic tour, of course!” With that, the Wolfen shot off again, albeit at a slower pace than before. The ocean flew by above them for a few minutes before blue turned to green. The massive jungles of the northern continent soon transitioned to mountain ranges, leveling out to deserts, cities popping up at regular intervals the whole way. Fox could not remember the last time he had looked at the planet in this way. The constant relaxing melodies wrapped the entire experience up in a perfect bow.

No words were exchanged for a good half hour, and Fox’s attention was turned from the planet to the pilot in front of him. Every interaction they ever had soared through his mind as quickly as the land below them, from their scuffle on Fichina many years ago to where he currently sat.

_If I could go back, tell my past self that things would end up this way...I wonder how he’d react._

Fox felt a warm ache in his chest. He clutched where the sensation formed. He could not get the gray canine out of his head, and he didn’t want him to leave.

His thoughts were dislodged by a change of inertia. Wolf was now flying away from Corneria. “How far are we allowed to go out?”, Fox queried.

“Just a bit past the orbit of the moon.”, Wolf said. “Wanna do somethin I used to do back in the day.”

Fox nodded, even though Wolf couldn’t see it. The previously mentioned moon soon rushed up to meet them, and Wolf took the Wolfen close to its surface, dotted with craters, mountains, and valleys. Suddenly everything went dark as the ship passed onto the other side, where Wolf stopped and turned the nose of the ship away from the moon.

“From my experience, this is the best view in the house. Well, when yer this close to a planet at least.” Fox craned his neck to look over the seat. With the moon blocking the light from Lylat and Corneria, the vast expanse of space had lit up. Light from nebulae, stars, and distant planets shone bright, with a backdrop of the galaxy’s center to complete the picture. A soft illumination blanketed the cockpit as the gentle melody of the ship’s speakers continued.

“Now this...this I missed.” Wolf uttered, barely above a whisper. His attention then shifted to Fox. “Hey, can ya see alright back there?”

Fox was still trying his best to peek over the seat, arms pushing against the armrests to no avail as his body was still strapped to the chair. “Uh, not really.”

Wolf smiled warmly. “Just unstrap, bud. Come sit up here with me.”

“O-oh. Yeah, okay!” Complying with what Wolf had said, Fox freed himself of the seat, floating upwards. He maneuvered himself in the tight space between the seats and the side controls, thankful for his smaller build. Once out, he hovered above Wolf, who had moved his legs apart to allow Fox room to sit. He reached his arms down and grabbed the armrests of the pilot seat, pulling himself onto it.

“Better?”

Fox once again looked out the glass of the cockpit. The entire system was laid out before him, putting on a spectacular show just for the two of them. “Yes. Much better.” He traced the stars with his eyes, identifying all the constellations he knew of. Meanwhile, his bottom kept floating off the seat, causing him to periodically pull himself back down in an attempt to stay in position.

“Here.” Wolf’s arms suddenly wrapped over Fox’s shoulders and around his torso, effectively holding him in place.

Face flushed, Fox looked up at Wolf. “Ah, thanks.”

“Don’t mention it! Yer head was gettin in the way of the view, after all!” Laughing softly, the two once again looked out into space. “Heh, I’m a seatbelt...”, Wolf mumbled.

The man in his arms snorted, barely holding back the flood of laughter that threatened to burst. “Yep, that you are, Wolfy!”, he managed out between gasps.

“Handsomest seatbelt in the whole system!”

“...in the whole universe...”, Fox whispered to himself.

Finally in an ideal viewing position, the Wolfen’s crew lost themselves in the scenery before them. Time was stripped of meaning in the grand vista, as an indeterminate amount of it passed before Fox felt something on his head.

_Oh?_

Wolf’s head rested atop Fox’s, and his right hand found its way to Fox’s left arm, where he began to rub gently. The wolf’s gentle breaths were loud in Fox’s ear. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it soon after, instead opting to push himself back into Wolf’s body, sighing in contentment. He reached for Wolf’s free hand with is right, grasping it lightly and rubbing small circles into his palm with his thumb. Wolf let out a soft huff from his nose.

They stayed that way for a long time before flying back.


	6. Chapter 6

Wolf arrived the next day without prompt, making his presence known with a text.

-[parked outside. its ur last day planetside so were u gonna do something special?]

[Nah. Do you have anything in mind again, Mr. Planner Man?]-

-[not today! time to use ur brain foxy! ill be waitin in the car]

Fox began to ponder, but try as he might, he couldn’t think of one single thing for the two of them to do. The poor guy was gonna roast outside at this rate…

[Hey if you’re just gonna wait there until I think of an idea, why don’t you come up to my place? We can hang out until something comes up.]-

The response was almost immediate.

-[ok!]

Fox leaped from the couch and hastily tidied up the apartment, putting on some sweatpants and a loose shirt in the process. Of course, Wolf had been inside once before, but that was only for a few minutes. He didn’t have time to scrutinize every nook and cranny.

A short shave-and-a-haircut knock sounded from the door and Fox went over to let Wolf in. “Hey, Foxy! Thanks fer invitin me!”

“Ah, it’s no problem, really.”

Wolf slipped his shoes off and set them by the entrance, making his way to the couch to sit down. Fox was busy in the kitchen getting some drinks ready.

“Iced tea okay for you?”

“More than okay!”

Fox sat down next to Wolf and handed him his drink, which he slurped at greedily. He looked just as good today as every other day Fox had seen him. Fox’s thoughts turned to the previous day’s events.

_We were basically cuddling yesterday. If that’s not enough proof that he’s interested in me then I don’t know what is!_

_Yeah, but I can’t just ask him now! It’s too early in the day! He just got here!_

“So, Foxy. Were you gonna do anythin durin this vacation if I never had got in contact with ya?” Wolf interrupted his inner argument as he leaned his back into the arm of the sofa, feet now on the cushion next to him.

Fox sipped at his beverage thoughtfully. “I mean, not really. I guess I would have just played video games...”

“Can we do that?”

“Huh? Video games?”

Wolf shrugged. “It’d be somethin to do.”

“I guess...” Fox stood up and sauntered over to the table under the large display screen on the wall. He retrieved a controller and turned back to his guest. “Do you play any?”

Wolf’s eye darted up to meet Fox. “Eh, not since I was young. Only games I play now are ones on my phone.”

“Oh yeah?” Fox flopped down on the sofa, turning on the display.

“Yeah, this lil game where ya set out food fer critters and they come to eat it and ya get rewards and shit.” Wolf had already been sliding through his phone while talking, holding up the screen for Fox to see once he opened the game.

“Oooh, I played this when it first came out! Kinda lost interest quickly, though.”

Wolf pulled the phone back to his view and smiled at the display. “I like it. It calms me down.”

“Yeah, I bet!” Fox inched himself closer to the other person on the couch and navigated to the game tab on the screen. “Anyway, a new game from my favorite series just came out recently, so I guess if you never appeared during this vacation I would have been playing that the whole time.”

“Of course...”, Wolf put his phone away and met Fox halfway on the couch, leaning into him with a mischievous grin. “...I’m sure yer fine with me buttin in on that time, right?”

“Well duh!” Fox blushed slightly. He navigated his library as the other man eased off him. Finally, he found the game he had most recently purchased. It started up, and Fox skipped through the company splash screens.

**_Super FX: Gamma_ _Protocol_ **appeared in big bold letters, two spaceships flying through them and into the background as the camera panned around the virtual space.

“What’s that mean?”, Wolf asked.

“What? The title?”

“Yeah.”

Fox shrugged. “I dunno, it’s just what the series is called. When a series gets enough games, their names start to become kinda meaningless. You learn to ignore it.” He pressed start and navigated the menus, continuing where he had left off previously. Wolf was watching intently.

“Alright, so like, what do ya do?”

“Well, you just kinda fly around and do missions.”

“Don’tcha just do that in real life?”

“I mean, yeah, but this has a whole bunch of different star systems and aliens and stuff!”

“How’s the flyin feel?”

Fox handed the controller over to Wolf. “Find out for yourself.”

“Oh god, I haven’t held one of these things in years.” Wolf looked at the device he was just given. Despite his claim, his fingers fit naturally around it, thumbs drawn to the analog sticks and forefingers to the triggers.

“You’re a smart guy, Wolfy! I’m sure you can figure it out! But I can give you a few pointers if you want!”

“Mhm.” The gray wolf experimented a bit with the controls, quickly figuring out which stick controlled movement and which controlled the camera. He found the boost, flying quickly in the large open space.

“There’s some button combinations you can press to do some advanced maneuvers too! Like, if you press the buttons here twice you do a barrel roll!” Fox pointed at the buttons above the triggers, and Wolf followed the command, causing the ship to do a little sideways spin.

“That’s an aileron roll, Foxy.”, Wolf stated flatly. He performed a few others to hammer the point home. Fox rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I know. But the game calls it a barrel roll.”

Wolf clicked his tongue. “I don’t think I can play this game anymore, what with its blatant disregard for flight terminology.” He handed the controller back to Fox.

“Alright, nerd.”

“Says the guy playin the video game!”

“Get outta here!” Fox pushed Wolf’s muzzle lightly, both laughing.

Wolf continued to watch Fox play throughout the afternoon, both of them making fun of the occasional bad voice acting or inaccuracy to actual space flight. Fox offered Wolf the chance to play multiplayer a few times, but each time he declined, assuring that he was perfectly content in watching him play.

Eventually, Wolf stood up, his knees cracking in protest, and made his way to the kitchen. Fox’s attention stayed fixated on the game as he heard the cabinets and fridge open and close.

“Where’s all yer food?”, the kitchen invader called out.

“I don’t spend too much time in this place, so I’m never really stocked up. I usually just order takeout. We can do that if you’re hungry!” Fox suddenly felt hands grip his shoulders, Wolf’s head peeking in from above his view.

“I think it’s time ya tried Wolf’s world famous tacos!” He had positioned himself behind the couch and was now leaning his whole body over it, gazing at Fox upside-down.

The fox raised an eyebrow. “’World famous’, huh?”

“Ya heard me!” Wolf beamed.

Pausing the game and turning off the display, Fox stood up and stretched. “Guess that means we gotta go shopping, huh?”

“Ya read my mind!” Wolf bounced cheerfully over to the door, slipping his shoes on while Fox grabbed some clothes and ducked into the bathroom to change into something more presentable. Once complete, the two exited the apartment.

Wolf pulled out his keys in the parking lot, but Fox raised his hand and shook his head. “There’s a grocery store just a short walk east from here. No need to drive!” Wolf nodded slowly and slipped the keys back into his pocket.

The two quickly crossed the street, merging with the moderately busy foot traffic. Fox wondered how the two of them looked together as he stole glances at his companion. Today’s outfit was a blue and yellow patterned top with white shorts that cut off just below the knees, tight enough to show his strong thighs. Fox’s chest fluttered as he walked closer to Wolf, arms brushing against each other. It took all his willpower not to grasp his hand.

“It’s a lot cooler today than it has been! I’m glad we walked!” Wolf’s tail swished behind him as he spoke, clashing a bit with Fox’s own.

The modestly sized store soon emerged and the pair entered. Wolf grabbed a small cart and headed towards the produce section, wherehe selected some onions, peppers, and tomatoes.

“So.” Fox gazed at all of the crops from the surrounding farms on display. “What’s the origin of ‘Wolf’s world famous tacos’?”

Wolf inspected a tomato, grimacing when he found a bruised spot. “Well, one day I decided, ‘Y’know what? I like tacos, so I should learn to make em!’ So I did! And I kept makin em over and over until they became world famous!”

“Uh huh.” Fox gave him a side eyed glance. “What ‘world’ are we talking about here?”

Wolf faced Fox and grinned, his eye shut tight. “Well, everyone at therapy loves em!”

“You’re a dork.”

“Yeah, but I’m _your_ dork.”

Fox felt a heart palpitation as Wolf walked off to his next destination.

_Okay, is he doing this on purpose?_

Regaining his composure, he followed Wolf, who was now pondering over packages of meat. After some deliberation, he made his choice, depositing it into the cart. He wheeled off happily, Fox jogging after him.

“You been here before? You seem to know where you’re going!” He slowed to a walk as he caught up to Wolf.

“No, but most stores are set up the same. Ya kinda get an intuition for it.”

The two arrived in the spices aisle, and Wolf pulled a multitude from the shelves, many of which Fox never heard of. He hummed to himself as he continued to pick from the wide selection. Once finished, he placed one foot on the cart and pushed off with the other, riding it down the empty aisle.

“Oh my god.” Fox snickered. “How old are you?”

“What, you _don’t_ still get the desire to ride a shopping cart like a scooter?” Wolf looked behind him as the cart slowly ground to a halt.

“Nope!”, Fox lied.

They continued to travel the store, picking up tortillas, salsa, and cheese along the way. Once done, they made their way to checkout. Wolf placed the basket of products into an automated scanner, which began to analyze the contents. He tapped Fox on the shoulder suddenly.

“Hey, I think those girls over there are checkin ya out.” He guided Fox’s sight over a short distance to where two women were talking quietly, glancing over at them periodically.

Fox scowled. “Doubt it. Probably looking at you.” He leaned into the man, placing a hand on his bicep unconsciously. Wolf looked down at Fox with a smirk.

“I think ya should give yerself more credit, Fox! Surely you’ve had a bunch of ladies pinin after ya!”

Fox shuffled his feet. “Usually it’s me doing the pining.”, he mumbled.

“What’d ya say?”

“I said, not really. Not that I’ve noticed.”

The scanning soon completed, and Wolf paid for the groceries while Fox placed everything into bags. The two exited the store, the bright day turning slightly dark as a cool wind blew through the city streets and gray clouds formed on the horizon.

…

“How’re those tortillas comin along, Foxy?” Wolf was currently mixing the contents of a pan on the stove while Fox peered into the mini oven on the counter, where he had draped some tortillas so they’d bake into a shell shape.

“I think they’re almost done!” He looked back at Wolf, who continued to add spices into the mixture.

“Alright! Ya any good at choppin up veggies?”

“I don’t think I’m horrible at it.”

“Perfect! Could ya get on that, bud?”

“On it.” Fox gathered the vegetables and grabbed a kitchen knife. He chopped through them haphazardly, getting veggie juice all over his fingers. The onions began to irritate his eyes and he became impatient, chopping furiously to be done with it all.

Wolf snorted, appearing behind him. “Fox, I thought ya said ya weren’t horrible at this!”

The failed chef turned around, holding the knife up. “You’re next, bucko!”, he said in a mock gravelly voice.

“Real terrifyin, Foxy! But I really think you should get the shells out now!”

Fox set the knife down. “Good idea.”

After anotherhalf hour of preparation, Wolf’s world famous tacos were complete. They placed them on a plate which they then set on the coffee table. Sitting cross legged on the couch with Wolf, Fox turned the display on to some random television channel for some background noise. They bit into their meals at the same time.

“Mmmmmm! Wolf what the frick! This is amazing!” Fox took another big bite of his taco, spilling some of the meat onto his tummy.

“Told ya!”

“And it’s got some bite, too!” Fox had finished his taco and fanned his tongue, reaching over for his glass of iced tea and taking a swig, swishing it around to alleviate the spiciness.

“That’s the only way a taco should be, bud! I actually held off a bit on the spice for ya!”

Fox finally swallowed his drink. “Ah, thanks then!”

After finishing their meal, Fox went back to playing Super FX, Wolf still opting to simply watch. Rain now fell against the windows of the apartment and Fox turned on some lights, lending the room a soft glow. Eventually the distant rumbling of thunder could be heard as Fox once again found himself lost in thought.

_Today will be my last day on Corneria for quite a while. That means I won’t see Wolf again for a month or more._

His chest hurt, eyes tearing up slightly. It was stupid, but he couldn’t help it. The thunder returned, this time with a loud clap.

_If I don’t tell him now, I’m going to go crazy on the Great Fox not knowing the answer. Even if it’s a no, I have to know now._

Fox paused the game, inhaling deeply. “Wolf.”

There was no response. He turned his head to look at his friend. Wolf’s hands were balled into tight fists, pressed firmly against his knees as he stared straight ahead, eye wide open. He was trembling slightly.

“...Wolf?” Fox repeated, concern laced with his voice. Wolf’s head jerked towards Fox, eye blinking rapidly.

“Hm! Yes!”

“What’s wrong!”

Wolf rubbed his legs with his palms. “Well, it’s just th-the, um...” Another thunderclap, and Wolf’s ears drew back as his eye shut tight, his trembling increasing. Fox’s eyes went wide.

“O-oh, shit. Uh, do you have earplugs somewhere?” Wolf shook his head vigorously.

“At home.”, he croaked.

Fox scrambled off the sofa. “I have some cotton balls in the bathroom! I’ll be right back!” He pushed the door to the bathroom open, quickly locating his target in the cupboard, bringing the whole bag with him. He sat back down, offering it to the wolf, who stuck a shaky hand into the bag and procured two tufts of cotton. Fox watched nervously as Wolf wadded them into his ears.

“How is it?”, Fox asked, biting his lip.

“I...I can still hear a little bit.” Another boom of thunder forced his eye shut, but his trembling was less. Fox inched closer, and Wolf took the opportunity to lean his body into the smaller man, hands clutching at his shirt.

“It’s alright, Wolf, I’m here.” Fox rubbed the hair on Wolf’s head gently, wrapping his other arm around his back. Wolf smothered his face into Fox’s chest, releasing a slow staggered sigh. His body was still shaking.

“C-can you talk to me, Fox?”, a muffled voice asked.

“Sure. What should I talk about?” He felt Wolf’s grip tighten on him as the storm raged outside.

“Anything. Just…anything.” Wolf’s face stayed nestled into Fox’s body.

Fox turned the television to a random channel to help drown out the sound of the storm, and then proceeded to talk. He talked about his days in the academy, the time he broke his arm trying to get on top of the roof of his home in Papetoon, the first time he flew an Arwing, and a few jokes Falco had told him over the years. Wolf would tighten his grip whenever there was thunder, but his shaking became less severe as Fox’s voice continued to soothe him in tandem with the soft strokes he gave his head and back.

...

It took a couple of hours for the storm to subside completely, and about another hour for Wolf to calm down enough to let go of Fox, who had managed to talk almost the entire time. Wolf sat, staring straight ahead with a tired look.

“I’m sorry about that, Fox. I should have been prepared for somethin like that.”

“Wolf, please, nothing about that was your fault!”

Wolf huffed. “I usually have my earplugs with me wherever I go. But, I just didn’t bring em today. Guess I forgot how fucked up my brain really is...”

“Wolf...”

He turned to face Fox slowly. “Did...did the war do anythin like that to you, Fox?” His face was solemn, yet almost hopeful.

“I mean, nothing like that. I used to have panic attacks, but I haven’t had one in years. I’m so sorry you have to go through that, Wolf.”

A blanket of silence fell. Wolf stood up. “I should probably be leavin now. Have a nice night, Fox.”

Fox shot up after him, grabbing his arm. “I don’t think you’re in the best condition to be driving.”

Wolf turned around, his face unreadable.

Fox swallowed. “You can stay here tonight, okay?” Wolf nodded slightly in response.

“Alright. Can I use your shower?”

“Of course! There’s clean towels in the cabinet.”

“Thanks.” Fox’s guest made his way into the bathroom, shutting the door. Fox used this opportunity to clean up the dishes they had left just a few hours before. Fox heard the shower turn on as soon as he had put away the last dish, and he started to clean up the kitchen area.

_Well, I did it. I invited him to stay the night. Too bad it was under these circumstances…_

Fox walked over to his bed, shedding his clothes and putting on his sleep shirt and a fresh pair of boxers. He sat on the mattress and pulled out his phone, scrolling through it idly with unfocused eyes. Finally, the water in the bathroom shut off. A few more minutes passed and Wolf stepped out, fur poofed out, wearing only his underwear and a towel draped around his shoulders as he held his clothes in his arms.

“Where should I put this stuff, Fox?”

“Ah, you can put it anywhere, I don’t mind!”

Wolf nodded, setting the folded clothes on the floor. Fox got up, grabbing a spare blanket from his bed and handing it to the other canine. “Here, you can crash on the couch. I’m gonna go to sleep now. Let me know if you need anything.” Fox basically blurted the words out, face burning red as he turned around and slipped under his covers. Once he saw Wolf lie down on the couch, he used his phone to turn the lights in the apartment off.

“...gnite, Fox.”

“Good night, Wolf.”

…

Fox wasn’t sure how much time passed, or if he had even fallen asleep at all, but the silence of the room was agonizing.

_He’s right there. RIGHT OVER THERE. And I’m not doing anything. I didn’t even get to tell him how I feel…_

He rolled over to his side, tears threatening to burst from his eyes. He sniffed loudly, wiping away the moisture that had just formed.

“...Fox?” The deep voice of his guest cut through the blackness, making Fox jump slightly.

“Y-yeah?”

“...can I sleep next to you?”

Fox’s heart jumped into his throat. “O-okay.”

He heard Wolf get up from the couch, his soft footsteps on the carpet getting closer. Soon he felt a tug on the blanket covering him, and a dip in the mattress as the other body entered. Fox didn’t move, back turned to his new bedmate, who let out a satisfied sigh.

_Oh my god, what do I do?_

If Fox had managed to sleep before, he sure didn’t now. His mind was racing, thoughts barely coherent. He felt like he was going to explode.

Wolf suddenly spoke up. “Thanks, Fox. For calmin me down earlier.”

“Ah, don’t mention it, Wolf! That’s what friends are for.”

“Yeaaah, but, thanks for doin such a good job. Yer really somethin else, y’know?”

Fox remained silent, unable to even close his eyes now. Wolf shifted next to him and spoke again.

“Fox?”

“Yes, Wolf?”

“I...I don’t want to make you uncomfortable...”

Fox rolled over quickly, coming nose to nose with his friend. “You’re not making me uncomfortable! I said it was okay to sleep here! You’re fine.”

Wolf exhaled quickly through his nose. “No, not that. I just...I feel like I’m goin crazy, and I need to ask you somethin.”

_Hm?_

“Sure, Wolf. Go ahead.”

Wolf closed his eye. “Can I...can I kiss you?”

_**!!!!!??!?!!?!?** _

The ambiance of the apartment grew deafening. All of Fox’s previous thoughts flushed from his brain as they were replaced with one singular question:

_**Did he really just say that?** _

“G-go ahead.”, he barely said above a whisper.

Wolf reached out, grasping Fox’s shoulders, as he moved his body closer. Fox’s two eyes met Wolf’s one before the older man’s muzzle closed in, placing a gentle kiss on Fox’s forehead. He held it there for a few seconds before pulling away. They gazed into each other’s eyes once again.

Suddenly, Fox entered autopilot, arms shooting out and wrapping behind Wolf’s neck and pulling his muzzle into his, lips meeting as both men let out a sudden breath. Their legs intertwined and Wolf’s arms found themselves rubbing Fox’s back as their kiss deepened. Wolf’s tongue ventured out to meet Fox’s, swirling around each other madly for a few electrifying moments before receding once again. They pulled away, panting.

A wide grin slowly formed on Wolf’s muzzle. “Well, that makes things easier.”

Fox was still slightly out of breath. “Wh-what do you mean by that?”

Wolf moved his hands to cup Fox’s face, rubbing the fur on his cheeks. “Well, now I can finally say this: Foxy, yer like, unreasonably attractive. Like, holy shit, you are, without a doubt, the cutest guy I’ve ever met!”

“W-Wolf! Shut uuup!” Fox tried to cover his face, but Wolf’s hands were in the way.

“I mean it! Ya got a great ass too!”

“Oh yeah? W-well takes one to know one! You handsome bastard! With your beautiful fur, and pretty eyelashes, and sexy voice, and...” Defeated, Fox nuzzled his face into Wolf’s neck, who cackled in response.

“Oh man!” He wiped a tear from his eye. “Guess I was worried for nothin...”

“Worried?” Fox pulled away to look at the man holding him.

“Well, I didn’t think you felt the same way! I mean, I was flirtin with ya somethin fierce these past few days, but ya didn’t seem to notice!”

Fox blushed intensely. “Oh! Oh my god, I...I noticed but I thought you were just naturally charming!”

“Well I mean, I am! But that’s besides the point!” Wolf couldn’t help but burst out laughing again.

Fox pulled himself completely into Wolf’s body, allowing himself to soak up as much of his warmth as he possibly could. “God, I’m pretty hopeless, huh? Falco even said you were interested in me, but I just dismissed it.”

“Well, that’d make us both hopeless, then!” Wolf buried his nose into Fox’s hair, breathing his scent in deeply.

They laid like that for a quiet moment, thinking about the new and exciting development in their relationship.

“Wolf.” Fox gulped. “Would you maybe wanna, like...be my boyfriend?”

Wolf reached his hands underneath Fox’s shirt, rubbing the fur on his chest as Fox gasped slightly. “What do _you_ think?”

“I-I dunno! I’ve never dated anyone before! I don’t know how this works!”, Fox said defensively.

“Now I don’t believe that for a second.”, Wolf replied. “A guy as cute as you never dated anyone?”

“No! Don’t laugh!”

“I won’t! That just means I’m proud to be yer first.” He kissed the top of Fox’s head.

Finally calming down, Fox’s eyelids grew heavy. “Thanks...”

The two men fell into a comfortable sleep, clutching each other tightly with smiles on their faces.


	7. Chapter 7

**BZZZZZZZZZZT BZZZZZZZZZZT BZZZZZZZZZZT**

Fox woke with a start, limbs intertwined with another furry body on the bed, which also stirred.

“Mmmnnnngh.” Fox untangled himself from the other person to reach out for his phone. Cursing the Fox McCloud of a week ago who decided to set the time of their departure so early, he silenced the alarm with a swipe of his thumb. Groggily, he turned his attention back to his bedmate. Wolf’s face held a look of concentration, as if he was trying his hardest to stay asleep after the phone’s rude interruption. He looked so serene, despite the matted fur where he laid his cheek on the pillow and the scarred flesh where his left eye used to be. He was perfect. Fox’s heart fluttered.

_My boyfriend…_

Fox felt as if every moment of the past few years since meeting him had culminated to this very moment. He moved to wrap his arms around Wolf in a tight embrace, burrowing his face into his soft chest fur and sighing.

“Mmmm.” Wolf’s eye peeled itself open, slowly resting on the man holding him. “Hey. Mornin, hun.”

Fox just groaned. “I don’t wanna gooooooooo.” He rubbed his face into the soft haven it had found.

“It’ll be alright, Foxy. You goin away for a bit doesn’t change this.” Wolf lowered his snout to Fox’s ear, planting several kisses on the side of his face, which Fox leaned into.

“Wow, you’re pretty affectionate, huh?”

“Well yeah.” Wolf pulled away. “Just look at the material I’m workin with!”

Fox smirked sleepily. “Such a charmer...”

Nothing was said for a few moments before Wolf spoke again. “Y’know, I think somewhere, deep inside me, I was always attracted to ya.”

“Hm?”

“Yer just...so magnetic. It’s why yer such a good leader. But for me, it was somethin else. I was drawn to ya. I thought it was just a desire to best ya in combat and to see ya fail, and that was part of it...” Wolf sighed. “But you were also stability. Safety. I knew, as long as you were out there, things would be okay, even if I was fightin you every moment I could.” He smiled warmly.

“I...I never would have guessed. I always thought you wanted me dead back then.”

Wolf chuckled sadly. “Maybe for a little bit. But I remember one specific instance when I had a clear shot at you. I had just gotten into the perfect position after a flawless somersault, and you had your back to me. Your Arwing was already in pretty bad shape, and I knew, if I took this shot, there’d be no way you’d eject from that...”

Fox remained silent, still holding his boyfriend tight as he relayed his story.

“And...I couldn’t.” Wolf’s voice cracked. “I imagined my life without you and I was terrified.”

Fox brought his hand to the man’s cheek, wiping a tear with his thumb. “I had no idea...”

Wolf smiled wide through his tears. “Not to sound dramatic or sappy, but I think you’re the most important thing that ever happened in my life, Fox.”

“W-well, thanks? Ah, I don’t really know how to respond to that.” Fox stuttered. “I feel kinda bad now actually, because I always just saw you as an enemy...”

“Well, that’s how I presented myself, so don’t feel too bad.”

“...I did always think you were handsome, though.”

“Well, duh.” A soft, deep laugh emanated from Wolf’s chest as he brought Fox’s muzzle to his. It was a new sensation, but one that felt so natural.

Fox withdrew eventually, breathing sadly. “I guess I should go get ready...” He slid out of the bed, Wolf hanging onto him slightly, causing his body to also slide across the mattress.

“Alriiiight. You go wash up while I get breakfast together.” Wolf kicked his feet lazily on the bed.

Fox brought his uniform with him into the bathroom and ran a shower. His tail couldn’t stop wagging as the hot water washed over his fur. He began to rehearse introductions, voice drowned out by the rushing water.

“Hi, this is my boyfriend, Wolf O’Donnell. Oh, hey! Have you met my boyfriend, Wolf?”

Fox giggled lightly to himself, shutting off the water and grabbing a towel. After some vigorous drying, Fox donned his outfit and stepped out into the main room. Wolf, dressed in his clothes from yesterday, perched on stool by the counter with two bowls of cereal. Noticing him step out, Wolf sat up stiff and gave a salute.

“At ease, soldier.” Fox shook his head, smiling, as he slipped into the stool next to Wolf.

“Don’t get to see ya wearin yer uniform in the flesh too often. Ya look good! Very official, even if I do know how much of a dork ya really are.”

Fox bumped Wolf’s shoulder with his elbow. “Quiet, you!” He then looked down at his breakfast. “So, what’s the chef’s special for this morning?”

“Well.” Wolf put on a posh accent. “After gauging my surroundings and using all the tools at my disposal, I was able to procure a dish of elegance and class! On Venom, they’d refer to it as toasted corn served in milk.”

“Uh-huh. And what do they call it in Corneria?”

Wolf took a spoonful of the cereal and shoved it in his mouth, crunching loudly. “Stale cornflakes!”

Both men munched away at the sub-par meal, working out the grogginess of their sleep.

“So do ya have an assignment all ready and waitin?” Wolf had finished his bowl and was now looking at Fox as he leaned onto the counter.

“Yeah. Just escorting a shipment of heavy metals from Macbeth.”

Wolf grinned solemnly. “I swear, I’m gonna try my hardest to get a job and get outta here, Fox. We could travel the whole system together! Well, at least when we get our free time.”

Fox nodded, scooping some more cereal into his mouth. It hit him as he chewed. All the pieces had been given to him, and they had finally come together. He chewed what was in his mouth and swallowed slowly, turning slowly to Wolf.

“Join StarFox.” The statement cut sharply through the apartment, leaving silence in its wake. Both men stared at each other intently, Wolf’s mouth slightly agape. He took a breath, but then withdrew, hand stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“I mean.” He started. “There’d be a lot of planning and paperwork to go through...”

“I know. I’m not expecting you to come on board today, but it’s a serious offer. You should think about it.” Fox rubbed Wolf’s back, leaning over to give him a peck on the cheek quickly before getting up and depositing the dishes into the washer. Wolf nodded to himself.

After cleaning up, Fox gathered up the few belongings he had taken with him from the Great Fox and left the apartment with Wolf, making sure everything was locked up. They made their way slowly to the parking lot and Wolf’s IceHawk eventually came into view. Fortunately, the car’s light shielding system had protected the interior from the storm. Approaching the vehicle, Fox put his hands on his knees, bending over slightly to observe it.

“So, this car’s kinda what set this all into motion, if you think about it.”

“Yeah!” Wolf chuckled. “My piss poor excuse to try to get ya to hang out with me.”

Fox pat the hood. “Thank you, car!”

Wolf shook his head in amusement before hopping into the car in his usual manner. Fox circled to the other side and unloaded his bag into the back seat and looked down at the door in contemplation. He then placed his hand on it, jumping up and tucking his legs. Unfortunately, his left toe caught on the door, causing him to stumble onto the seat.

“Oof. Nailed it!”

“I’m proud of ya, Foxy! Ya did good! But it’ll take a while before ya can measure up to the master!”

Wolf put the key into the ignition and soon they were off to the Great Fox.

…

The ride was spent mostly in silence, and it didn’t take too long for them to arrive where the mercenary team’s ship was docked. The three other members were already there, loading supplies into the hangar bay with the help of the ship’s robotic operator (buddy), ROB 64. They all turned to see Wolf parking the car and their leader stepping out and grabbing his bag. Both men then walked toward the ship, Wolf waving.

“Hey guys! Need some help?”

Peppy raised a hand. “Nah, we’re all good here, Wolf. Thanks, though.” Falco and Slippy waved and made small greetings. ROB’s visor seemed to be tracking the gray newcomer.

“It’s alright, ROB.” Fox put his hands up in a non-threatening manner. “He’s a friendly.”

“UNDERSTOOD. UPDATING DATABASE FOR. WOLF. O’DONNELL.”

“So, you all ready ta go?” Falco set his hands on his hips, glancing between Fox and Wolf rapidly.

“Yeah. Just gotta say goodbye. You finish up, I’ll join you soon.” With that, his team turned their attention to the last crate, while Fox turned his towards Wolf.

“So, I guess our lil sabbatical’s come to an end.” The taller man observed, sadness apparent in his tone.

“Yeah.”

“I had a lot of fun...”

“Yeah.”

They shuffled for a few moments, before they both naturally melted into each other, lips meeting. A shrill whistle from Falco indicated that they had an audience, but they continued. Fox scritched the back of Wolf’s head while Wolf ran his hands down Fox’s back, giving his rear a quick squeeze, which broke the kiss as Fox gasped.

“Eep! Hey watch it, mister!”

“Couldn’t help myself.” Wolf gave a devilish grin.

“...you’ll think about what I said, right?”

“Oh, definitely!”

“Good.” Fox picked his bag up and walked backwards to the Great Fox. “Bye, Wolfy!”

Wolf waved. “Seeya later, Foxy! Call me!”

“Oh, I will!” Fox finally turned around, making his way up the hangar bay ramp where his team stood.

“See? Toldya he liked you.” Falco held a smug expression on his face.

“Congratulations, Fox!” Slippy pat him on the leg.

“It is nice to finally see you with someone, I must say.” Peppy pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, smiling.

Fox felt the warmth of his team around him as they all waved to Wolf, who slowly disappeared from view as the door shut.

“Y’know, it’s good that you all like Wolf, because I invited him to join the team.”

“You _WHAT_?”


	8. Epilogue

“Wow, those new EMP missiles worked like a charm, huh?”

Slippy turned toward the source of the voice as soon as he stepped down from his Arwing. “You wouldn’t expect any less from me, would you Fox?”

“I mean, it’s usually fifty fifty when it comes to your inventions.” Falco emerged next from his craft. “It works, or we’re stuck trying to escape from the explosion.”

“Guess we got lucky today!” Peppy joined the three as they detached their comm units from their heads.

“Awh, c’mon guys! My success rate is higher than fifty percent, surely!” The frog whined.

A deep voice echoed through the hangar. “I believed in ya, Slip! Don’t listen to these losers!” The gray furred figure descended from the only ship in the hangar that was not an Arwing and approached the group.

“Thanks, Wolf! Good to know _someone_ cares!” Slippy crossed his arms, turning his head away from the others mockingly.

“Hey, I didn’t say anything!” Fox pouted.

The team made their way to the small mess hall, hungry after their mission. They were commissioned by a trading company to deal with a small raiding party that was frequently ambushing shipments.

Everyone sat at the communal table while the ship began to prepare their personalized meals. Falco assumed his usual sitting position, with his legs propped on the table.

“So who’da thought those ‘terrifying pirates’ would turn out to be some punk teens?” The bird raised his arms behind his head, eyes closed.

Wolf held a thoughtful expression while Slippy chimed in. “Well it’s a good thing we were able to apprehend them non-lethally! Thanks to my missiles of course!”

“Yeah! Still nice to have some action finally! I was getting sick and tired of flying in unbroken formation for all those escort jobs.” Fox’s mouth watered. He hadn’t eaten since that morning.

“Yer tellin me! This is the first job I’ve been a part of on this team where we weren’t bein ordered around by a stuffy bureaucrat to protect his sorry tail from nothin!” Wolf practically sang in merriment. Fox sat back and took a moment to appreciate him.

It had only been around a month since he came aboard. General Pepper approved of the idea, noting Wolf’s distinct lack of new criminal record and believing it to be a good way to keep an eye on him if need be. Wolf shrugged that latter comment off but had to get Fox to cool down after he snapped at Pepper.

Wolf was officially granted legal access to the rest of Lylat again, and his Wolfen’s systems were all restored to normal. After some upgrades from Slippy and a new blue paint job (which Wolf fought, but eventually settled with), the ship fit like a glove with the four Arwings.

Wolf had contacted his old teammates, Panther and Leon, about the news. Leon found the situation amusing, but promised not to pull any punches if they ever found themselves in battle. Panther was in full and enthusiastic support.

“Finally!” Falco dug into the food as soon as it was served by the Great Fox’s automated systems, snapping Fox from his thoughts. Everyone ate heartily and chatted merrily. Wolf kept up with the banter surprisingly well, and had settled in pretty naturally after about a week.

Fox felt a hand on his thigh. Wolf had placed it there as he continued talking to his teammates. He rubbed it idly as Fox wrapped his arm around his waist, both continuing to eat during this casual intimacy.

“So, Fox, gonna tell everyone?” Peppy spoke during a dry spell of the conversation, and all eyes turned toward their leader.

Fox set his utensil down. “So, I haven’t seen any job opportunities coming up, so I think we might be able to take some time off again.”

“Oh!” Slippy jumped up. “I can finally have time to retrofit those new boosters to the Wolfen!”

“I appreciate it! But Slip ya gotta take a break from work! Do it fer me!” Wolf clasped his hands together in a mock pleading motion.

“Well…alriiiiight. But your Wolfen does really need those boosters!”

“What? You listen to Wolf but not me?” Fox glanced between the two, flabbergasted.

Slippy shrugged. “What can I say? He pulls off the puppy dog look way better than you.”

Fox stuck his tongue out before continuing. “Anyway, I was hoping we could all go someplace nice. Y’know, the new StarFox team out on the town!” He stretched his free arm out, panning it across the air dramatically before withdrawing it slowly. “Or somethin...”

“Well said, hun.” Wolf pat Fox’s back, sarcasm clear in his tone.

“That sounds quite nice, actually. Aside from the vagueness.” Peppy smiled, showing his two prominent front teeth.

“Alright then, team! We actually have a new mission! And it’s figuring out where we should all go! Everyone think about it and we’ll come back here tomorrow and discuss our ideas.” The automated cleaning system started to clean the empty dishes as everyone murmured in agreement, slowly drifting off to their own sections of the ship. Fox had gotten up and made his way to his quarters, Wolf in tow. The newest member of the team was given his own room, but it was a mere formality. He kept some of his stuff in there, but the bed he used was Fox’s.

Entering his room, Fox threw his coat on the bed, and worked on removing his flightsuit. “God, I need a shower. You?”

Wolf sniffed at the collar of his uniform, which was similar to the rest of the team’s aside from the accents of purples and dark grays. “Oof, yeah. Haven’t worked up a combat sweat in years!”

Fox looked at him wryly. “Combat sweat?”

“Yup.”

“And that is?”

“Foxy, the term is self explanatory. Use yer head.”

“Oh, but I _loooove_ your stupid explanations for things!”

Wolf squinted at him. “I’m too sweaty and tired to say anythin funny.”

“Fiiine.” The two men removed the rest of their clothes, placing them into the laundry chute, before walking into the adjacent bathroom and stepping into the shower together. It was roomy, but definitely meant for one person.

The cool water splashed against their bodies. Fox squirt some shampoo onto his hand and began to work it into Wolf’s shoulders, while Wolf washed Fox’s head, scrubbing down his neck and back, eventually moving to his tail. They continued cleaning each other while making idle chit chat, and when they were finished Fox shut off the water. Both stepped out and stood on a grate, which was positioned below a large vent on the ceiling. Pressing a button, it expelled a blast of warm air, drying the two men in a few moments, leaving their fur poofy.

Exiting the bathroom, Fox pulled on some underwear and a loose pair of pajama bottoms, while Wolf simply donned a set of his skimpy briefs. Adequately dressed, the two slid under the covers of Fox’s bed, soft fur meeting as they sighed contentedly.

“You tired?” Wolf mumbled. Fox shook his head.

“Not enough to fall asleep.” He placed a soft kiss on his boyfriend’s head. “That mission was pretty exciting, though. I missed that sort of thrill.”

Wolf nodded slowly. “I’m just glad those kids are safe. I hope they’re given a chance for a fresh start.”

“Yeah...” Fox traced circles in Wolf’s chest fur before nuzzling up to his neck, breathing in the aroma of the lavender shampoo.

“So.” Wolf broke them out of their contemplative states. “What was yer plan for our time off?”

“Well, it’s kind of predictable, but I think Zoness would be nice.”

“Maybe.” Wolf grinned, ruffling the short hair on Fox’s head. “But it’s a great idea! Plus, I haven’t been there since they did the corrective terraforming to counteract the damage Andross did.”

“Oh yeah, they’ve done a great job! It’s become the number one vacation spot in Lylat again!” Fox rubbed his snout under Wolf’s chin. “And don’t worry. I know I said I wanted the whole team to come, but that doesn’t mean we’re not gonna get some alone time.”

“Oh, ya thought of everything didn’t ya, Mr. Planner Man?” Wolf nuzzled him back. Suddenly, Wolf’s phone went off, prompting him to reach over to the nightstand and grab it.

“Who is it?” Fox grumbled.

Wolf turned the screen to him, which depicted the static image of a black grinning feline and the words: _Incoming Call...Panther_. Fox rolled his eyes. “He really loves video calls, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah. He hates not bein able to see the person’s face when talkin to em.” Wolf’s thumb hovered over the accept call button, before looking over at Fox. “Are you okay makin an appearance?”

“Does he know we’re dating?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure he’ll find out once I answer!”

“Well I don’t mind if you don’t mind.” Fox rested his head on Wolf’s shoulder, who hit the accept call button.

The still image of the cat was replaced by an animated one, which smiled warmly. He appeared to be in some sort of cabana. Thanks to FTL datalinks set up all across the system, calls in space could be received virtually instantaneously, meaning there was almost no lag.

“Greetings!” He purred in a voice deeper than Wolf’s. His smile widened a bit. “Oh, sorry. Is this not a good time?”

Wolf looked over his and Fox’s shirtless forms. “If it wasn’t a good time I wouldn’t have answered, ya nut!”  
  


“You are right! Hello, McCloud! I hope you are well.”

“I’m alright, Panther. So what’s up?” Fox had talked to the feline before, but they still barely knew each other. He was always pleasant, at least.

“Oh, just returning a message. Wolf, everything we discussed should be alright! Just let me know when you are ready.”

“Actually.” Wolf pulled Fox closer to him. “Yer timing is perfect! We just got some time off!”

Fox eyed Wolf suspiciously. “Wait, what is this about?”

Wolf grinned sheepishly. “Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but Panther owns a nice private place on Zoness, and I was coordinatin with him for a good time to go there.”

Fox’s mouth was agape. “Well, isn’t this just a huge coincidence!”

“I know, right? I almost let it slip when ya said ya wanted to go to Zoness! Good thing I don’t have to keep it a secret anymore!”

“Yeah. But did you take the rest of the team into account?”

Wolf turned back to his phone. “Panth, would it be alright for the rest of StarFox to come?”

Panther winked. “Not a problem! Friends of Wolf are friends of mine, after all!”

“Think ya can get Leon in on the action?”

The man on the phone looked thoughtful for a second. “I doubt it, but I can try. You are also welcome to convince him, if you wish.”

“Of course. Thanks for gettin back to me on that. I’ll let ya know if the rest of the team approves.”

“But of course! Farewell, Wolf.” Panther bowed his head and the call cut out.

Wolf set the phone back down and laid back again. Fox tickled under his chin lightly. “So, how long you been planning this?”

“About two weeks. Was only gonna be the two of us and Panther, but I guess it won’t be too bad to have a big get together!”

“You really think Leon will be okay with all of us?” Fox asked apprehensively. The chameleon’s animosity for StarFox always had seemed particularly intense.

Wolf shrugged. “If it’s a problem for him, he won’t come. He can be a good guy in his own way once he warms up to ya, though.”

“Funny.” Fox rolled over slowly until he was on top of Wolf, chest to chest. “I bet that’s how your teammates would have described you back in the day.”

Wolf smirked mischievously. “Yer not gonna try to date Leon now, are ya?”

“Nah, he’s not my type.” Fox said, drawing his face closer to Wolf’s.

“And what is yer type?”

“Oh, you know.” Their eyes met. “Tall, gray and white fur, one eye.” Fox looked his boyfriend up and down. “Absolutely gorgeous...”

Wolf chuckled, placing his hands on Fox’s rear. “Y’know, this is startin to remind me of the night after our first mission together.”

Fox felt hot, remembering the event. “Heh, yeah.”

Wolf’s expression turned sensual. “Wanna go fer a round two of that?”

Fox’s muzzle drew close to the side of Wolf’s face. “Yeah, but we just took a shower...”

“We’ll just take another.” Wolf whispered.

“Guess you’re right.” Fox reached down to his pajama bottoms, slowly slipping them off with Wolf’s help.

“Love ya, babe.” Wolf crooned.

Fox reached up and pinched Wolf’s cheek. “Love ya too.”


End file.
